Pale Blossom Flower
by swirlheart
Summary: While on a mission, someone takes an interest in Ino. He's very upfront about it and appears to be everything she wants. Sai better figure out his feelings before someone steals her away. Requested fiction. SaiXIno. Rated T to be safe. Read and review please!
1. Chapter 1

**Pale Blossom Flower:**

Summary: While on a mission, someone takes an interest in Ino. He's very upfront about it and appears to be everything she wants, too. Sai better figure out his feelings before someone steals her away. Requested fiction. SaiXIno. R&R please!

Naruto and its characters belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction written for fun. I make no profit. The only thing I own is my imagination and the OCs that appear.

 **Chapter 1:**

Naruto looked from his left to his right and back. It was certainly an odd match-up as far as he was concerned.

To his right stood Sakura and Sai. To his left was Ino.

He had been on a few missions with her in the past, but this whole thing seemed awkward. Basically, it was his team with an extra. She was the odd man out. If she was with the rest of her team it wouldn't have bothered Naruto so much. He wasn't angry about her being here. It just felt awkward.

"Doesn't it seem strange that you're hanging with us for this mission?" he asked without thinking.

"It can't be helped. Kakashi can't go with you guys since he's the Hokage now."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," Naruto said, a bit annoyed that she seemed to think that he hadn't noticed Kakashi's position and the changes it would bring.

"He handpicked me saying that I was right for this mission in addition to you two."

"Three," Sakura corrected.

"Oh, right," Ino said in a mocking tone and glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "You're here, too. I must have forgotten because you're so quiet."

Sakura folded her arms. "You're just mad because Kakashi appointed me the leader of this mission."

"For a leader, you sure are lacking command. I haven't heard a peep out of you since we left. Aren't leaders supposed to direct the team?"

"What's there to direct? We're not even there yet. If I started barking orders now, you'd accuse me of being bossy."

"Got that right, forehead-girl."

Naruto hung his head. "This is going to be an awkward mission. It's already a pain in the butt with these two going at it and we're not even there yet."

Sai grinned at him. "It seems that Kakashi is messing with you, picking them to be on the same team as you, doesn't it, Naruto?"

"It sure seems that way. Oh, Kakashi-sensei…"

Surely, he must have known that Ino and Sakura would be bickering the whole time. Why in the world would he assign them to be on the same mission together with no one to referee? It would be no different from going on a first mission with a bunch of Genin. Constant arguing, each one trying to out-shout the other and neither open to compromise. It would be exactly the same.

"He's either doing this to drive me nuts or as some twisted form of Hokage training. Something having to do with me dealing with impossible people and bickering girls."

"They're not fighting that much," Sai told him. "We've come all this way and they've hardly said a word to each other. It's only now that it's started."

"And now that it's started, it's going to get out of control like a wildfire."

To his relief, Ino and Sakura didn't argue that much as they traveled. He assumed they were saving it for when the mission officially started and couldn't agree on how to handle the situation. At the moment, they were just jabbing each other.

They were told to go to a lord's house and he would give them further details of their mission when they arrived. From what they were told in the Hokage's office, it sounded like a basic protection mission. They didn't have to escort anyone anywhere and the lord didn't have to leave his home. Normally they were hired to protect someone of such stature during an escort mission because they were more open and therefore vulnerable on the road. Since the lord wasn't planning on going anywhere, this must have meant that he knew the danger was coming to him from an outside source. Perhaps assassins had been hired to do away with him.

This was what Naruto thought. Thinking back, Kakashi was actually pretty vague about the mission details. He just told them that they would be protecting a lord.

It was probably going to be a rich, old, fat slob who treated everyone like dirt because he could. He would probably look down on them and judge them before they even said a word to him and treat them like lowly servants, believing everyone was put on the earth to cater to his whims. Naruto had met far too many people like that on missions. Bratty children, mean old men, greedy rich guys and stuck-up princesses who screeched and screeched. All of them had one thing in common: they were never satisfied.

Naruto prepared himself to meet the rich lord, wondering which category of mean he would fall under.

As it turned out, none of the above.

When they arrived at their destination, they were shown inside by a smiling servant and brought to a large room where the lord sat.

He wasn't old and he wasn't fat. He wasn't a slob and he wasn't mean-looking. No bald head with a thick beard, either.

The lord was actually their age and quite handsome.

"Kakashi-sensei should have specified 'young' lord. I was picturing something much different."

Though he looked handsome, his behavior might have been ugly. They had seen his outside appearance, but it may have only been an appearance. Naruto would know his level of cruelty when he opened his mouth.

"Hello," the young lord greeted them warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Fumihiro, owner and ruler. You must be the ninja from the Hidden Leaf."

Naruto and his friends introduced themselves to the young lord.

Naruto was so relieved that the young lord wasn't a cruel person. When he spoke to them, his voice was kind and clear. It seemed he had nothing to worry about after all.

"Before I tell you about your mission, you must be famished after your long journey. Please, accompany me into the dining hall and we can go over the details over a hot meal."

The servants brought them to the dining room where other servants were setting hot dishing down on a long heavy table. They were seated around the table and Fumihiro sat at the head of the table, waving the servants away with his hand.

Conversation waited until everyone tasted the food in front of them. Naruto enjoyed going to a rich man's house because they usually had good food. Plump birds, succulent cuts of beef and pork, steaming red shellfish, smoky fish, flavorful soups and glistening vegetables. Judging from the dishes before him, he could look forward to this meal as well. He piled his plate high with some of his favorites but made sure to try a little bit of everything.

Halfway through his meal, he heard the young lord speak from the other end of the table. He stopped crunching long enough to hear what Fumihiro was saying.

"Regarding your mission, I recently received a tip that my home was being targeted by thieves hired by someone from the next land. Rumor is that it's another lord."

Naruto swallowed before speaking. "Does that really make a lot of sense? Why would one lord steal from another? It doesn't make much sense to me, especially if he's hiring somebody to do it for him. Isn't he just spending money in order to steal money in that case?"

"It's not money this person is after, per say," said Fumihiro. "My understanding is that my riches are being targeted, but not the money itself. Objects that I've collected throughout the years, treasures that have been passed down and important documents."

"Why would another lord want that? An enemy, sure, I get that, but another rich guy in a different land? What's the point?"

"In order to gain power," said Sai. "Sometimes lords from other lands will target fellow lords in power who possess things they want. Things of different value for some reason or another. Usually it's something that will make them more powerful."

"Exactly," said Sakura. "Those documents might contain secrets another land can use to attain additional power and weaken other lands. Even certain trinkets can bestow power to those who have ownership over them. Even if the object is a symbol, like a crown or something, it still gives some form of power to those who have it."

"There are priceless items that cannot be traded for money but those who have them have power solely because of ownership," Ino finished. "I've seen cases where people will show loyalty to those who own certain objects, regardless of if the person actually has any real power. Sometimes owning something that is powerful is enough to make you powerful in the eyes of others."

"And that's the case here," said Fumihiro. "I own many priceless items that a thief would target. And several things another lord would covet."

"Do you have any idea who would be targeting you?" Sakura asked.

"No, I don't. I've spoken with other lords throughout the land but none of them have been targeted. Many of them are my friends so I don't think any of them would make me a target. But the rumors have all stated that it's a lord who wants to steal from me. I have no suspects."

"Do you at least know when you'll be attacked?" asked Ino. "It must be soon otherwise you wouldn't have called us."

Fumihiro sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't know exactly when this alleged attack will take place, if at all. So far, they are only rumors, but my staff and I didn't want to take chances. If I am to be attacked, several people will be in danger. Not just my staff, but the people who live nearby. Innocent people who could be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Naruto looked around the table. "So what are we supposed to do? Wait here until the day comes? I would say we find out who this person is and go to them but we have no idea who this person is or if this is anything other than a rumor."

"It might not even be an outsider. It could be a person from this village," said Ino. "A regular person who wants the power of a lord."

"But if that's the case, they might target money instead of items," said Sakura. "That's much more likely because a regular civilian wouldn't know what to target other than money. A lord would know what a lord would find more valuable and more powerful."

"Plus, one of Fumihiro's friends could have been lying to him when they said they had no idea," pointed out Sai. "We can't rule any of them out."

Fumihiro looked troubled. "I don't want to doubt any one of my friends. I'd hate to think one of them would seek to do me harm."

"I would be upset by that notion, too," said Sai, "but it's still possible."

"It's also likely to be someone who works for a lord, too," added Ino. "Someone who regularly attends to a lord would know what was valuable to them, and what would give another power."

"Then a servant might be involved."

Fumihiro frowned. "But the rumors I've been hearing never mention…"

"The rumors might have been started in order to throw you off," said Ino. "Who was the first person who told you of these rumors? Where did you hear it first? If we work backwards, we might be able to find out how this all started."

Ino knew a thing or two about starting rumors and finding the person who started one. Whenever one was started about her that she didn't like, she tracked down the one who started it all and gave them a piece of her mind. She knew how nasty rumors could be so she trained herself to track down the creator. Sometimes she was able to understand why the person fabricated such a tale after finding them and realizing that they were getting back at her for something she had done to them. Other times she would have to shake the answers out of them or go inside their mind to find the truth.

Though all they had to go on were rumors at the moment, it was enough for Ino to get started. The others were well-trained ninja who had come across missions in the past where little is known but giving up wasn't an option. It was a puzzle with missing pieces.

Puzzles were really more of Shikamaru's thing, but Ino was confident a little of him had rubbed off on her. Besides, she didn't want to lose to Sakura or appear weak in front of Sai. This was her time to impress them.

"We can handle this," said Naruto. "So what if we don't have all the information? We'll find it and solve this mystery. Don't worry. Your secrets are safe with us."

Fumihiro sighed, giving them a weak grin. "I certainly hope so."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

At their urging, Fumihiro showed the ninja to his treasure trove of important and rare items. He had a secret room where he kept most of his treasures hidden under lock and key. Others were on display behind glass or on pedestals throughout his home which he showed visitors as conversation starters. The important documents he claimed to kept in various places in order to throw off thieves. He would not show them their exact locations, but he did tell them which rooms they were in.

Naruto shook his head. "Things are much simpler when thieves are after money and gold. Instead we have to deal with lords trying to weaken another lord's power while making themselves stronger."

"People have been doing that for a long time," Sai told him. "It's been a power struggle since status was invented. In general, people are always trying to be better than someone else. That's the relationship you had with Sasuke, isn't it?"

Naruto hesitated to answer, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. We were always trying to show each other up and be stronger. But us challenging each other like that made us better ninja. We got better through that rivalry. I don't see how one lord stealing from another helps anybody. When we did our thing, we didn't cheat or steal. We trained. We didn't hire people to take power from someone else and make ourselves stronger."

"A lord might not see it that way. It sounds like you and Sasuke despite everything at least had honor and some form of respect. You didn't try to sabotage each other. You trained to strengthen yourselves. People in power don't always do that. For them, sometimes it's easier to prevent someone else from getting stronger either by attacking them directly or stealing from them and keeping it for themselves."

Naruto shook his head. "Don't people care? Don't they realize there's a right way and a wrong way of doing things? You can be creative and not cheat or steal. The only way you can truly get strong is if you work at it. Otherwise, you're not as powerful as you…"

"I know," said Sai. "That is why you are working so hard to be Hokage. Even if there was an easier way, you would not take it." He grinned. "Like when Kakashi offered you the position and you declined because you admitted that you weren't ready yet. I think he offered it to you as a test."

"Probably. He also likes teasing me." Naruto frowned. "Hmm."

"What is it?"

Naruto glanced around the room they were in. "I noticed that Fumihiro keeps a lot of his stuff locked up. But I noticed that the boxes and displays that they're in don't have any dust on them."

"Which means the servants have access to these rooms," said Sai, on the same page as Naruto. "I noticed that, too."

"But he won't show us where the documents are, so maybe the servants don't know where they are either." Perhaps this meant that everything they knew a servant knew as well. Naruto believed this meant that they had the same amount of knowledge and freedom as any of Fumihiro's servants. If that was the case, then it would have been easy for any of them to get a hold of these objects.

When Naruto told his theory to Sai, he found fault with it.

"It wouldn't be easy for a servant to use these objects, though. Everyone would know where they obtained it. Even in their possession, it would be useless to any of Fumihiro's servants. It's more likely to be an outside job."

Naruto thought more on the possibilities. "Well… What if one of the servants doesn't like Fumihiro anymore and offers the object they steal to one of the other lords? What if they would rather have someone else in power or work for someone else?"

"It's possible," said Sai. "I'm not sure how likely. But…"

Sai took a long look around the room. Fumihiro's treasure room had no windows and only one door leading in and out. If someone were to break into this room and escape unnoticed, they would have to go through the ceiling. A servant would also know all the ins and outs of their master's home, so this was a distinct possibility.

Other rooms containing valuable objects were out in the open. They were placed in rooms with multiple doors and windows and people constantly coming and going. Arguably, these items would be easier to steal because they weren't heavily guarded and there were numerous escape routes the thief could take.

The documents were another matter. Since those were kept so secret not even the ninja hired for a job were allowed to see them, it was safe to assume that not even a servant would know where their exact location could be. Even if they did, would they know which were important or what to do with the papers once they were in their possession?

Sai tried to think of all the objects they were shown, their placement in the home and their value. He tried to think out of all those objects, which would be easiest to steal and most valuable to the thief.

When the tour was complete, Sakura and Ino asked Fumihiro if there was a private room they could discuss things in and Fumihiro brought them to a small room he rarely used.

Once inside, they closed the door and discussed what they learned.

"It wouldn't be easy for anyone to get in and out of that treasure room," said Sakura. "No one would question a servant going in and out of it to clean, but it would be hard for them to take something out of there unnoticed."

"Unless they put the object inside something unassuming like a bucket," pointed out Ino. "That room is private so anyone who gets inside won't have to worry about anyone finding them snooping around. They would have an excuse for being there and with only one door, they can keep track of who comes and goes."

"He also keeps much of his important stuff in there," said Naruto. "But all those things are locked up. Would a servant have a key? There are a ton of other valuable things out in the open and no one needs a key to get to them."

"They are also in rooms with multiple exits," Sai tossed in. "Though they are more likely to be seen in a place so open, people might not think to guard it as heavily."

"I also think that those objects aren't really worth going through the trouble of stealing because they're out in the open like that," said Naruto. "I don't think Fumihiro would care too much if that stuff got stolen."

"But we need to focus on items that are not only valuable but easy to steal," said Ino. "A lot of times thieves will go after what's easy and will take the least amount of time to take. They don't like added trouble. We're also assuming it's an inside job. The rumors say that it's going to be someone from the outside. What might be a hassle to a servant might be easy for a hired thief."

Sai smiled at her. "That's very wise thinking."

Ino blushed slightly but was determined not to let flattery interfere with the mission at hand.

"Let's assume it may or may not be a servant. Why don't we go through all the possible exits and paths either would take and what either might find easy and valuable?"

"That's good thinking."

They mapped out several different scenarios for servants and intruders. As they made predictions for each, Ino and Sai occasionally got distracted. They weren't long distractions. Just briefly looking at each other when their shoulders bumped together as they leaned closer to the map they created on the floor with various objects. Being professional, they didn't stay distracted for long and continued to work on the mission together with the rest of the group.

* * *

As the day faded away, casting long shadows on the ground and bathing the lord's home in orange light, Naruto and his friends started their patrol around the property. It was the first of many since they were uncertain when the supposed thieves would strike, if at all. They may have arrived too early, but they weren't going to leave only to return after the attack happened. It was better to stay.

Sai paused on a small footbridge in the garden, turning his head slowly to survey the area in silence. The thick bunches of flowers had cast long shadows on the grass which seemed to stretch all the way back to the building. The water's sparkle had faded to a pale twinkle. Soon night would fall plunging everything into shadow.

He was used to dark nights, having little to no light to work with. Pursuing enemies, plotting escape routes. Even battling opponents whose faces were only illuminated by the sparks coming off their blades.

If this supposed thief came at night, they might have difficulty fleeing the grounds in such darkness. In that case, Sai might have the advantage. However, if the enemy was an expert, the lack of light may not be an issue for them.

"Everything alright?" Ino asked, stepping onto the footbridge.

"I was just thinking."

"About the mission?"

"Yes." He looked at his shadow wriggling on the water below. His shadow was more restless than he was.

Ino stood beside him. "We've had missions where we have little information to go on before. I'm not too worried."

"Neither am I," said Sai. "I was just thinking about how the thief's mind would work if they planned to attack at night."

"Oh?"

"Many assume working undercover of darkness is the best way to go because it will mask you from the guards and other witnesses. Many fail to realize it will also hinder your movements, meaning they are more likely to be caught. Tripping, falling. If they use a flashlight, they are more likely to be seen. Overall, it is not always the best way to avoid notice. Unless you are used to the night. Like a ninja who has worked in absolute darkness on many occasions."

Ino nodded her head. "That's right. But a thief might not need the darkness to do their work."

"True. But many do attack at night thinking they are less likely to be seen. By the public, maybe. But guards are going to be more alert at night if they are expecting thieves."

"If they are expecting them to come from outside the building," said Ino. "Remember what we talked about? The thief could be someone who works for the young lord. That would make it easy for them to flee the area at night because they are familiar with the layout. It wouldn't matter if it's dark out or not."

"Yes, that's right."

"But we still don't know if they'll make their move tonight or a different night. Or at all."

"That's also correct."

Ino sighed. "Sometimes I hate it when the enemy takes their time like this. They might just make their move during the day and meanwhile we've been up all night looking for them so we're tired when they do try to…"

Sai put his hand on Ino's to silence her.

She gave a little gasp and her cheeks turned pink.

"It doesn't matter when they choose to make their move," Sai told her. "We'll get them."

Ino turned her head away, trying to hide her blush. "I- I never said we wouldn't."

"Hm." Sai smiled.

He kept his hand on Ino's for some time. As much as she wanted him to keep his hand on hers, Ino broke the silence saying, "I… I thought we were going to be professional about this."

"About what?"

She blushed even harder. "Well… About, um…" She cleared her throat. "I mean, we shouldn't get distracted is all. If we're focused on each other, then…"

"I'm focused on our mission," Sai said simply. "I know not to get distracted on missions."

"Right. Exactly." Ino nodded her head up and down. "Right. Because then you leave yourself open to attack. Or capture. Like a friend or an ally or the lord or yourself or…"

"Or my heart."

Ino's head turned sharply to the left, staring at him with big eyes. "Eh?" she squeaked.

Sai turned to her with a calm expression. "Was that not an appropriate thing to say?"

"Uh…" Ino's face was bright red.

"I read about its usage in books but I've never actually used it myself. I thought I would give it a try because it was well-timed with your words."

Sai wasn't quite sure of what he had just said or its full effect on someone else. He was just filling in the blanks when he heard Ino's choice of words. He wasn't certain when he would get another opportunity to use that particular phrase and felt the need to try it at least once.

Judging from the look on Ino's face, now might not have been the best time to use it.

He was also worried he had used it incorrectly.

He was used to such solecism on his part, but he felt a little embarrassed doing it in front of Ino for some reason.

"Sorry," he told her softly and took his hand away.

"Th- that's ok." She folded her hands in front of her, massaging the hand he touched with her thumb. She missed the warmth of his hand already.

She wondered if there was any truth to what Sai had said about having his heart captured by someone. Maybe he was only repeating phases he heard without a full understanding of their meaning. Or maybe he did understand what they meant but was unaware of the effect they would have on the one hearing them.

It reminded her a bit of a child learning a new word or phrase and felt the need to repeat it as much as possible, using it over and over again.

So far, it seemed she was the only one he told this to.

Sai glanced around. "We should probably wander around a bit more. Just in case someone is lurking nearby."

"Yeah, I guess so."

She knew not to expect Sai to be affectionate towards her on missions. That would be asking a bit much. This wasn't a romantic setting, nor should it be. They had a job to do. This was neither the time nor the place. She understood that. She did.

Even knowing that was the way it had to be, a part of her hoped for a little bit more.

But no. Even the best ninja knew to set aside those feelings and deal with the mission at hand, even if they were working with people they loved.

Naruto and Hinata could do it. Ino certainly could do it. She had done so before. She knew the right way to behave on missions.

She just had a hard time turning off that part of her that hoped there was a moment when they could break the rules. Just for a moment.

No, no. She had to ignore that part of her. If they got distracted on a mission, they would leave themselves vulnerable. Not only that, but the enemy could show up and attack while they were trying to get some privacy or even just gazing into each other's eyes. She couldn't jeopardize the mission like that. She had self-control and was levelheaded enough to know what was appropriate behavior for a mission.

Besides, there was no way she was going to appear incompetent in front of her love-interest. She was a ninja, after all.

Ino nodded her head. "Right. I'm going to check around this side of the property."

"Alright." Sai turned left and walked off the footbridge and across the stone path towards the east side of the building.

* * *

Naruto stared at the trinkets on display in one of the main rooms. He hadn't taken his eyes off them for the past minute. When Sakura came in and saw him staring at them without moving an inch, she wondered if he thought they were going to spring to life and walk off on their own.

"Naruto, they're not going to get up on their own. You staring at them like that could make it easier for someone to walk in and you not notice them."

"I know that," came Naruto's voice from behind.

Sakura jumped and spun around.

"Which is why I set up a clone over there to stare at those things for me while I look elsewhere. This way, if the thief sees me standing there, they're going to go somewhere else. That's when I jump them. Pretty good, right?"

Sakura sighed, getting her racing heart to calm down after that slight spook. "I guess. But why don't you..?"

"Don't worry. I've got plenty of ideas. And a backup plan for my backup plan."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Just walk around the house, alright?"

"You got it, boss."

She knew Naruto was only calling her that because she was the leader for the mission and it was the only way he could tease her while showing respect and not get punched.

They went their separate ways, investigating different areas inside the building while Sai and Ino looked around outside.

Naruto went down one of the halls and overheard the young lord talking to someone in another room. He crept along the wall and stopped just outside the open door to one of the studies.

"Master Fumihiro, you cannot take chances like these. Please, I implore you to leave the documents with the ninja where they will be safe. If a thief were to get their hands on them…"

"No one knows where they are except me and I intend to keep it that way."

"But sir, for all we know one of the maids could have stumbled upon them while doing the cleaning. It might be safer to move their location. At least for the time being."

"I know you are only looking out for the wellbeing of my estate, but I can handle this."

"Master Fumihiro… Those rumors might be true. I am not asking you to leave the documents with me, but with a ninja sworn to protect you and your property."

"It is not my staff I am doubting. Though I am aware of what those ninja intend to do, and even though I know they are only here to help, they are still strangers to me. You would have me leave my property with a band of strangers instead of the staff I have known for years?"

"I understand, but…"

"No one, not even my most trusted people are to know their whereabouts. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. I just thought you might consider…"

"If those ninja were to rob me, they would have done it by now. They are being paid to protect me and my things."

"Yes, but what if those ninja do get a hold of those documents? They might seek to strengthen themselves with such information."

"You just told me they would be safer with them. Which is it?"

"I was merely asking if you think there would be any danger in letting them have those documents. Just for safekeeping."

"Those documents would be useless to a ninja. They are only valuable to landowners, lords or assorted entrepreneurs."

"Exactly, sir. So you see my point in leaving them with a ninja, yes? Such things would be useless to them. What better way to keep them safe than to leave them with someone who cannot use them? Those documents are utterly worthless to a ninja."

"So you badmouth them in order for me to see that they are the best people to keep such things safe? You have an odd way of convincing people."

"I was only trying to…"

"Stop trying to have me cast doubt on people and leave me be. Let the ninja do their job and see that the staff do theirs. No more of this nonsense."

There was a long pause, then the second man spoke up again.

"Master Fumihiro… You do understand the seriousness of it all, don't you?"

"Of course, I do. Why else would I have summoned the ninja to my home?"

"It's more than that, sir. It's…"

"Yes?"

"… You are a kind person and fair, Master Fumihiro. But I fear that the other lords think little of you overall."

"How so?"

"I see the way they look at you during visits. You show them such gracious hospitality, but… I fear they think you are too… too…"

"Young?"

"Yes, sir. Your age indicates experience or lack thereof. I worry that they do not take you seriously. One of them might be the one targeting your wealth, sir. They might think that you are too young to handle such a position, or that you are handling it poorly. They might think that they could do better. They might be targeting you because they think they are better suited for this power. They might be trying to steal it in order to add it to their own."

"I have always conducted myself befitting of an honorable man. As you said, I am kind and fair. I pride myself on such traits. My age should not suggest that I am ill-fitted for this position. My actions should speak for themselves, not my age."

"But I worry they do not see it that way. People are probably trying to target you because of your age. They think it makes you easy prey, sir."

Fumihiro sighed loudly. "I'm aware there are those who will think I am inexperienced and can therefore be targeted. I cannot change their minds. Yes, I may be young, but I have been groomed from childhood to take over my family's estate and be a lord. The other lords were just older when they inherited their estates. If they choose to look down on me for my age that is their problem."

"But if others think the way they do or worse, whoever is targeting you now will only be the first of many. You must do something to show the other lands that you are not to be trifled with."

"You are saying that I should increase my family's power?"

"If the other lords seek to do so, why can't you? It might be for the best. After all, people don't usually attack people with great power. They are more likely to go after weak folk. That is why I fear they are targeting you."

Fumihiro paused for a long time. "I suppose… But I will not stoop so low as to take from others. I will find a way to increase my power fairly. I will not lose my integrity. My family cannot lose its pride. We have maintained it for this long, I will not be the one to lose it."

"Very well, sir. But…"

"Please. Leave me be. I do not wish to discuss this any further."

"I… yes, sir."

Naruto heard footsteps and quickly moved away from the door. He ducked into another room, peering through the gap in the door just in time to see a tall man leave Fumihiro's study and walk down the hall. He was older than Fumihiro but he didn't look like a simple servant. Naruto wondered who he was. Perhaps Fumihiro's adviser? Lords had those, didn't they?

Naruto stepped out of the room and started to walk down the hall again when he saw Fumihiro leaving his study.

"Um… Naruto, correct? That was your name, yes?"

"Uh, yeah."

Fumihiro grinned softly. "Ah, good. I was hoping to learn all your names. How are things going? Has anything happened?"

"No. Everything's fine."

"Good. I am hoping these are just rumors and nothing more. Even so, I would hate for you to have come all this way for nothing."

"Eh, we get paid either way," Naruto said bluntly.

Fumihiro chuckled.

"So… What are you doing?" Naruto asked him.

"I am debating going to bed early tonight. I might also read for a bit."

"Ok."

Fumihiro eyed Naruto a long time with his brown eyes, then smiled.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing." Fumihiro looked away. "It is just that you are young yourself but people still take you seriously. You wouldn't be a ninja otherwise, yes?"

Naruto wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Never mind. Just thinking out loud." Fumihiro turned down the hall. "I'll be in my room. Good night."

"Uh, good night."

He felt bad for Fumihiro. There were times Naruto and his friends weren't taken seriously as ninja solely because of their age. He understood how Fumihiro must have felt.

Being optimistic, Naruto wanted to give Fumhiro words of encouragement by telling him that not being taken seriously sometimes had its advantages. After all, in his experience, sometimes Naruto was able to get the jump on an opponent who already wasn't expecting much from him. He did take satisfaction in catching an enemy off guard and seeing the stunned look on their face. He liked it even better when he was able to defeat an enemy older than himself who claimed that no 'mere child' was a match for them.

Looks could be deceiving.

Just because Fumihiro was young didn't mean he was incapable.

The problem was that some of Fumihiro's staff seemed to be trying to destroy what confidence he had in himself by telling him he had too many shortcomings and how other lords thought little of him. He knew the staff was concerned the young lord would be targeted again because of this, but it still wasn't a good thing for Fumihiro to hear.

Naruto cocked his head to the side, thinking.

The servants tended to the needs of the guests so the staff must have overheard one of the visitors speaking ill of Fumihiro which caused this concern. During their questioning, none of the servants could provide any information on who the assailant could be. That seemed odd to Naruto. Unless the staff wasn't sure because there were multiple people who did this so no one could be singled out.

The way that one staff member spoke was a bit odd, though. He seemed very determined to get Fumihiro to take out the documents he kept hidden from everyone other than himself. Not only that, but he seemed to disparage Naruto's group and in the very next sentence attempt to convince Fumihiro that his papers would be safe with them. That seemed very odd. It was almost as if the man couldn't make up his mind.

How the rumors got started was another issue. Maybe that man was the one who started them to strike fear into Fumihiro. Maybe he was the one after the documents.

It might not be an outsider at all but a member of his own staff.

Numerous things bothered Naruto.

He might not have been the best at planning things out, but he was very good at thinking outside the box and making the most out of what he had to work with. He tried to put those skills to good use and figure out what to do.

If it really was a member of Fumihiro's staff, what were his options? What should he do?

What would he do if he was one of the staff members and trying to steal from his master?

Based on what his friends had said about power struggles among other lords and different lands and what he had learned from eavesdropping coupled with what he had already surmised…

Naruto smirked. "I've been hanging around Shikamaru too much. His genius is starting to rub off on me."

* * *

Fumihiro was on his way to his bedroom with a book tucked under his arm when he saw Ino walking towards him from the other end of the hall. He stopped where he was as she approached.

Seeing him pause, Ino addressed him. "Everything's quiet. There might not be an attack tonight but we'll keep an eye out just in case. You can rest easy."

"Yes, of course." Fumihiro seemed distracted.

"Is everything alright?" she asked him.

Fumihiro shifted his gaze from side to side. "I just have a lot on my mind, I suppose. Not just the rumors and having you here, it's… I… I don't want my staff to be in danger."

"We'll protect everyone."

"I'm certain you will." Fumihiro looked down. "But I have to wonder if I am putting them in danger because other people think I'm weak and therefore an easy target."

Ino tried to put his mind at ease by smiling. "It's alright," she told him. She looked into his brown eyes. "Leave everything to us. Once we get this matter sorted out, you and your staff won't have anything to worry about. We'll handle it."

Fumihiro managed a weak smile. "Yes. My apologies for laying my troubles on you like this."

"It's fine. I don't mind."

"I wasn't referring to this mission business."

"Neither was I." Ino gave him another grin. "I couldn't think less of any guy willing to talk about their feelings. Sometimes the best way to sort things out is by talking."

Fumihiro's smile deepened. "Yes. That is true."

He stared at Ino for a while. When he didn't avert his gaze, Ino asked, "What?"

"You know… you have quite a pretty face." Fumihiro's cheeks flushed red for a moment, then he quickly said, "Sorry for being blunt. I was just taken with your wisdom and wished to say something. I'm sorry if it came out wrong."

"It's fine." Ino was blushing a little herself.

Fumihiro fumbled for the door to his room. "I… better call it a night."

Clearly, he wanted to escape before he said something else to embarrass himself.

"If you need to speak with me again, feel free to knock. I'll be up a while longer. I already have a servant coming in a few minutes with some hot tea. You won't be bothering me."

"Ok."

Fumihiro opened the door to his bedroom and went inside.

Ino resumed her patrol, grinning from the complement he paid her moments ago.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

With no guarantee anything would happen tonight, things were pretty lax around the lord's manor. Most of the servants had gone to bed and Fumihiro was in his room. When the ninja passed each other in the halls or outside, they would briefly mention what they found, which had been nothing so far, and continue on their way.

This time when Sakura and Ino passed each other by they decided to have a quick conversation.

"I saw you and Sai on the bridge in the garden."

Ino put her hands on her hips. "Are you suggesting that I shouldn't have been talking to him during a mission?"

"No," said Sakura. "I just noticed that you guys were together and I was wondering… if you were together."

She knew that Sai and Ino had gone out on at least two dates and had gotten closer as a result. However, it was unclear if they were going steady.

"Are you guys, like, an item now?" Sakura asked her friend.

Ino frowned. "I'm not sure what we are. He hasn't made any moves suggesting he wants to be but I can tell he's interested. He holds my hand sometimes. Plus, he's the one who asked me out on a second date. That says something, doesn't it?"

"I guess it does."

Knowing how Sai could be, it was difficult to tell what any of this meant. Sakura wondered if Sai knew what it meant or if he had any intentions at all. She hoped he wasn't going through the motions and leading Ino on. Not on purpose, of course. She truly thought Sai's actions meant he wanted to be with her. But if he hadn't made any other moves, maybe he wasn't interested in being that serious with her.

"There's no one else he likes, is there?" Ino asked.

"What? No. I don't think so."

"He never mentioned anybody else."

"You think he's interested in two girls? Did he say something?"

Ino shook her head. "No. And I didn't ask him either. I was just wondering if there was a reason he wasn't committing. It can't be me, so I know I'm not the problem. He told me I was a delight on our date."

"He could have been being polite."

Ino growled at her.

"Were those his exact words?" Sakura asked next.

"Well… no. He said he enjoyed the date and wanted to do it again with me. Those were his words. But on context that must mean he found me to be an absolute delight, right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"What?" Ino put her hands on her hips again.

Sakura wasn't sure what to tell her.

"Ino… I don't think Sai is seeing anyone else if that's what you're worried about and I highly doubt he's interested in another girl. Sai's just… awkward. He hasn't dated before. This whole thing's new to him. He probably doesn't know what he's supposed to do or how fast he should move. Considering how socially awkward he can be, I bet he doesn't want to make any moves because he's afraid of scaring you off by being too forward."

The blond girl nodded up and down slowly, a smile creeping on to her face. "Oh, I see. So he's just being shy." She gave a little giggle. "A shy guy. How cute."

"Well, I wouldn't call him shy, exactly…" Sakura thought about Sai's comments about Naruto's manhood while they were first getting to know each other. In her opinion, Sai was too bold to be shy. What shy person would say such a thing after first meeting someone?

However, Sai did have a docile personality. When he was first coming up with nicknames for his teammates, he was acting a bit shy. Even Sakura thought his mannerisms were cute, the way he looked down and scratched his cheek while speaking to them in a quiet tone of voice. He was being shy then.

Bold, shy. After thinking about it for a bit, Sakura came to the conclusion that Sai's comments weren't so much bold as they were careless words spoken by someone with very little social experience. Sai probably wasn't sure what was appropriate or not and was unaware of the effects certain words or phrases would have on someone. From what she could tell, Sai only became aware of how a person might react to certain phrases after reading books on social interactions. That was when the light bulb went off in his head.

"Maybe I should be the one to make the moves," Ino said more to herself than to Sakura. "If Sai's too shy and is afraid of offending me, I should make some moves to show him it's ok."

"What, now?" Sakura asked, a bit surprised.

"No, not now," Ino snapped. "I know better than to do that on a mission. We're professionals."

"Right…" Sakura teased.

"I'm saying after our mission is done."

"Ok…"

"Now that I know it isn't me, I have nothing to worry about. I thought he wasn't interested for a moment there, or he was getting bored with me."

"Naruto's still convinced Sai doesn't know what a woman is. When Naruto used his Sexy Jutsu in front of him, Sai had no reaction whatsoever."

"That's because he knew it was Naruto."

"I guess." When Naruto tried the reverse on her, Sakura couldn't help the nosebleed she suffered but maintained enough of her wits to punch him.

Footsteps caught their attention and they both saw a servant girl carrying a tray with a teapot and cups in her hands. She briefly looked at the ninja and hurried down the hall towards Fumihiro's bedroom.

"Fumihiro said that a servant was going to bring him tea in a little bit. That must be the servant," said Ino.

"Looks like it." Sakura looked in the direction the servant had come from. "I'm going to check down here."

"Ok." Ino walked a short distance down the hall to check on the servant and make sure she was doing what she was supposed to.

The servant knocked on Fumihiro's door, balancing the tray on her other arm. "I've brought your tea, Master Fumihiro."

"Come in."

The servant opened the door and when she did, the tray got off balance causing the teapot to slide to one end. The girl quickly corrected it by grabbing the tray with both hands before it could tip. She entered the room and closed the door.

Ino narrowed her eyes at the tray.

One teapot, two cups. It was common for a servant to bring more than one just in case the other broke or if there was an imperfection they hadn't noticed before. This would save the servant a trip and waste little time fetching the master a new one.

But the number of cups wasn't the issue. It was something else about that tray.

* * *

Naruto found Sai leaning against a railing and decided to join him, draping himself over it and groaning dramatically.

"This is so boring. I hate it when we don't know when the bad guys are going to show up. I hope we're not up all night for nothing."

Sai glanced down at Naruto and patted him on the back. "You'll hurt your stomach if you continue to lean on the railing like that."

"I know."

Sai looked at the star-filled sky and listened to the chirping insects. It was such a peaceful night.

He looked down at Naruto who was now resting his chin on the railing instead. He was tempted to ask Naruto a question unrelated to the mission but wasn't sure if he should. Most of all, he wasn't sure how to phrase it.

The question pertained to his own curiosity. A curiosity that was itself a puzzle.

He wanted to ask Naruto about his love life but wasn't sure why he cared or why he wanted to know about it. A small part of him wanted to know so he could take notes, but he wasn't sure what he would use those notes for. Perhaps he wanted to improve his own dating life. If he did go out with Ino again, he wanted to have a better understanding of what was expected of him. Most of all, he wanted to know what other dating couples did on dates. Surely there was more to it than just going to dinner and taking walks together.

His understanding of dating was pretty one-dimensional, but lately he found himself straying a bit from the norm and wanted to know if that was typical or if he should get back on track.

So many books had their own ideas of what normal dating should be. Dinner and dancing, candy and flowers, long walks on the beach.

He wasn't sure if he was doing it right but Ino never complained so what he was doing must have been acceptable.

Sai also found himself consulting books less and less, both about the subject of dating and interacting with people on a social level. He thought he had a good handle of it at this point. He felt comfortable enough to simply talk to people without researching what he was supposed to say.

"How… are things with you and Hinata?"

Naruto looked up. "Good. Why?"

"When you date… Does she like it?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. I mean, yeah, she does. Why? What's this about?"

Sai shrugged. "I just wasn't sure if I was dating properly. That's all."

Naruto straightened up. "Why? Did Ino say something?"

"No. She said she had a nice time when I took her out."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I just wasn't sure if it counted as a date-date. To me, it felt kind of like we were hanging out as friends, only it was just the two of us. I'm not really sure what was expected of me. Even after reading up on dating activities and advice, it just didn't feel… The books described it so differently. To me, it felt casual."

"Sometimes dating is casual. It doesn't all have to be fancy."

"Yeah. But lately…"

Naruto turned to him. "Yeah?" he prompted.

"I don't know how to put it." He looked at the sky. "I liked it. I like dating Ino. It's just…" He searched for the words. "I just wondered if I should be feeling something more than I am. Is liking the date enough or… or should there be more there? When I think about it after the fact, I get the sensation that I'm lacking something. Like… The date could have gone better or something. I don't know. It's a little confusing. I wondered if you ever felt that way with Hinata during your dates."

"If the date went bad kind of feeling, or..?"

"I don't know. Just… If there was a sense of disappointment despite having a nice time. Or thinking you could have done more and maybe should have." Sai looked at the railing. "I wonder if feeling like you're hanging out with a close friend is enough or if you should be feeling something else on a date. If so, then what? I'm not sure how a real date is supposed to feel. You said it's ok if it feels casual, but…"

"Sai, Sai…" Naruto put his hand on Sai's shoulder. "Don't overthink it. Stop worrying about what you're supposed to be feeling on a date and focus on how you do feel. If you had a nice time, then there's no problem."

"Then what's the difference between having a meal with a friend and having one as a date?"

He shrugged. "At this point, I think it's good to be friends first then worry about things like romance. Some things happen when you don't think about it. It's kind of easier that way, too."

To not think about it and let things happen. That seemed like decent advice; and it came from Naruto. Even this knucklehead could be wise when he wanted to.

Sai nodded. "You're right. I don't know why I was thinking about something like that now of all times. I guess it was just such a quiet night, I couldn't help but hear my thoughts more clearly. I might have let my mind wander too much and it got me confused. Thanks for talking to me about it."

"No problem." Naruto looked into the house from where he stood. "I better make my rounds inside again. Keep your head in the game while I'm gone, ok?"

Sai smiled. "It was just a passing thought I decided to entertain for a while. There's no need to worry. I'm focused on the mission."

"Good."

* * *

While Naruto was making his rounds in the building, he noticed something moving from down the hall. A door was opening.

He planted himself against the wall, holding his breath.

Fumihiro was leaving his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and walked down a different hall.

He might have needed to use the bathroom and nothing more, but part of the mission included protecting the young lord so Naruto decided to follow him at a distance to make sure everything was alright.

To his surprise, Fumihiro entered his office instead.

Perplexed, Naruto crept up to the door and peered inside.

Fumihiro moved around the room slowly. He opened a drawer and started shifting things around inside. He drew a key from under a pile of papers and closed the drawer. Next, he walked to a different part of the room, moving things out of his way as he went.

He pushed a pedestal along the wall to one side and crouched down. He felt along the floorboards with his fingers until he found a grove and lifted a false board off the ground, exposing a secret compartment in the floor, hiding under where the pedestal stood prior to his actions. He inserted the key into the hole in the floor and Naruto heard a distinct click. Fumihiro pulled a scroll from the compartment and closed it up again, moving the pedestal back into place.

Naruto saw Fumihiro coming towards him and quickly backed away from the door.

Fumihiro stepped into the hall with the scroll in hand.

Knowing that only Fumihiro knew the whereabouts of all his hidden documents, Naruto was certain that this was the real Fumihiro. Someone in a disguise would have been fumbling around but this man knew exactly where everything was and didn't miss a beat.

"What are you doing up?" Naruto asked him from a safe distance.

Fumihiro turned to him. "Sorry to bother you," he said gently. "Upon further consideration, I felt this would be safer with me tonight."

Naruto frowned. "Really? I thought you said everything was secure where it was."

"Ah, yes. But after a conversation I had earlier, I've changed my mind." Fumihiro smiled. "It is just one item. It won't matter if I move it just for tonight."

Naruto reached out his hand. "If you feel that way, maybe it would be safer with me. After all, we were the ones hired to guard it for you. Right?"

"That is kind of you, but you already have so much to watch over tonight. I will keep this with me."

"But didn't you tell your staff member that you trusted us and he was trying to convince you to give it to us for safekeeping?"

"Yes, that is true. Perhaps in the morning I will."

"Why not now?"

Fumihiro looked down at him and gave a weak smile. "I'm tired and would like to retire for the night. You understand, yes?"

Naruto looked into Fumihiro's blue eyes.

"Yeah, sure," he said hesitantly. "Good night."

"Good night." Fumihiro walked down the hall towards his bedroom.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Fumihiro's back.

Last time he saw him, Fumihiro's eyes were brown.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Fumihiro was stopped for a second time in the hall, mere steps from his bedroom. This time by Ino.

She looked from the scroll in his hand to his face. "Fumihiro?"

He stared at her.

"Do you need some help with that?"

Fumihiro didn't avert his gaze. "I'm tired and would like to retire for the evening."

Ino did not step aside. "Ok. What are you doing with that scroll?"

He hesitated. "I would like to take it to my room. I'm tired."

Ino turned her head slightly to the side to look at the door behind her. "In here? Ok. Did you want me to come with you?"

"I would like to be alone for the night. Please."

Ino stepped aside. "Ok. Good night, then."

Fumihiro walked forward now that his path was clear. Ino had no intention of leaving. She stood nearby, watching him closely. He opened the door and entered the dark room. He closed the door. Ino stood where she was, listening.

She could hear two sets of footsteps. He wasn't alone.

"Ah-ha!"

Ino flinched. That was Naruto's voice coming from inside the room.

Clattering. Thumping.

The door flew open and out came the servant girl who brought Fumihiro his tea. She was fending Naruto off with both hands while Fumihiro stood in the shadows, unfazed by what was happening.

"Naruto!" Ino snapped.

"I knew something was up," he said, still struggling with the servant girl. "I hid in the ceiling and caught her trying to take the scroll from Fumihiro. I caught her red-handed."

The girl kicked Naruto in the jaw and wriggled free. She fled down the hall and into the path of a roaring tiger. She jumped over the railing and into the garden. Sai emerged behind the tiger drawing, blocking her path down the east corridor.

She glared at the ninja.

"There's no way you're getting out of here," said Naruto. "You might as well give up."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I know all the ins and outs of this place and you don't."

Ino put a hand on her hip. "That might be true… if you were a real servant."

The girl looked at her. "What do you mean? I've been working here for years. You've only just arrived."

"Exactly," said Ino. "When you brought Fumihiro his tea, I noticed something about the tray you were carrying. When you were opening the door, it tilted to one side, shifting the teapot and everything to the other end. If you've really been a servant here for years, you would know how to balance a tray so it wouldn't do that. No servant would risk dropping a pricy tea set like that in their haste to serve their master. No good one, at least."

The girl said nothing, but that was all the indication they needed to prove her guilt.

Sai looked behind the girl, wondering why she wasn't trying to escape. They had her surrounded at the front, but the area behind her was wide open. She could have tried to run. He knew for a fact that the garden had a total of five exits not counting going over a roof.

The fact that she wasn't trying to run told him that it wasn't because she was trapped.

He walked backwards, using his drawing as a cover. He hoped they would think he was just hiding behind it. He had barely taken a dozen steps when he saw two guards coming his way with their weapons drawn.

They were coming for him.

Sai jumped to the side. One kept going but the other clashed blades with him.

Naruto heard the noise and looked to the side, seeing the second guard coming for him. "What are you doing? She's the bad guy!"

The guards had the same blue eyes as Fumihiro.

"You will not win!" the guard shouted and pinned Naruto against the wall. "How dare you trick us? All this time, you've been planning to steal from us."

"What? No!" Naruto pushed the guard away. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sai came running down the hall, his guard defeated and looked into the garden. The girl was on the move. He tried to stop her but more guards had come, every one of them believing the ninja were the enemy.

While Naruto handled his own, Sai rushed into the garden to stop the rest alongside Ino.

"It looks like a form of Genjutsu," Ino explained. "I've heard of this but I've never used it myself. It's one that just about anybody can learn."

"What does it do?" Sai asked, kicking a guard in the stomach.

"It's called the Waking Dream Jutsu. Basically, the person it's cast upon thinks they're dreaming everything they're seeing, but the caster has control over how the victim perceives everything. In other words, they're very easy to convince. And just like in a dream, you go with the flow, whether or not it makes sense."

"So, that girl cast it on these guards to make them think we were trying to attack the young lord and steal from him all along, turning us into the enemy."

"Yup. And I'm sure she cast it on Fumihiro, too. Based on the way he's acting, it's kind of like he's sleepwalking. He doesn't know what's going on. All this is a dream to him." Ino shoved another guard aside. "Because he's in such a suggestive state, she was probably able to convince him to get something of value and bring it into his room. Since she would be there anyway, it would be easy for her to steal."

"Based on how the jutsu works, it wouldn't matter if she knew where the valuables were or not. All she had to do was tell the young lord to get them and he would since he knows where they are."

"You gotta admit, it's a good plan."

"True. But let's throw a wrench in it anyway."

Ino and Sai pushed the guards back with a combined attack. Then Sai quickly drew a series of snakes and had them wrap up the guards. Since it wasn't their fault, the ninja didn't want to hurt them too badly.

Out of immediate danger, Sai and Ino turned around to face the building. They saw the girl moving closer to Fumihiro.

"Can you break the jutsu?" Sai asked Ino.

"I can try to rip him out of it. There should be no danger in me trying. It might give his head a spin, though."

"As long as it doesn't damage either of you I think we should give it a shot."

Sensing that Sai had faith in her, Ino gave it her best shot. "Watch my back for me, would you?"

"Of course."

The girl stepped beside Fumihiro as he stared blankly at Naruto trying to fight his way out of a headlock. "The scroll is not safe here with the ninja. Give it to me. It will be safe in my hands."

Fumihiro started to hand the scroll over then stopped. His arm wouldn't move. He frowned in concentration. Something was telling him not to do this.

"Give it to me!" she demanded.

Fumihiro's face twitched. "I… I shouldn't…"

"It's safer with me."

Fumihiro shut his eyes. "I don't… I don't want to…" He put both hands to his head. "Who's talking?"

The girl looked into the garden and saw Ino trying to break the jutsu.

Fumihiro looked like he was in pain. "In my head..! Who..? Stop it!"

The girl tried to take the scroll from his hands but got distracted when Naruto tossed the guard at her.

Naruto pointed his finger at the girl. "We're not done!"

The girl stepped behind Fumihiro, using him as a shield. It wasn't enough to stop Naruto. He plowed right through the young lord in order to get to her. He shoved Fumihiro into the wall and chased the girl down the hall.

"Naruto…" Sai and Ino said at once.

Though he wanted to protect people, in the heat of the moment, sometimes Naruto would get a little careless. He wouldn't put the person at risk; he would just get a little rough with them.

Ino stepped onto the porch where Fumihiro lay against the railing, scroll still in his hand. She bent down and touched his shoulder. "Fumihiro? Are you alright?"

"I think so." Fumihiro lifted his head. His eyes were brown again. "I feel dizzy."

"Get back here!" Naruto shouted chasing the girl up and down the halls.

She kept going. She came to one of the rooms housing much of Fumihiro's belongings on display and decided to cut through here, knowing there was a way to the front gate through this open space.

As soon as she tried, something pounced upon her from above and sat on her.

It was the Naruto clone he had remain in this room as a decoy.

Naruto joined his clone, holding the girl down with their combined strength.

"Ha! I told Sakura it was a genius idea," he bragged to his clone.

"And how!"

The person squirming under them managed to get free and started to crawl away. Naruto tackled them again, bumping into a display and breaking the glass. His enemy punched him repeatedly and Naruto hit them back. They were still trying to wriggle away so Naruto grabbed whatever was on hand to club them over the head.

"Stay put, you stupid-"

"Idiot!" Sakura decked him hard from behind.

"Ow! Sakura!"

She snatched a monkey statue out of Naruto's hand and put it back in the broken display. "You were about to use this the beat someone? I oughta beat you!"

"But they were-"

"You were going to break a priceless artifact just because you couldn't reach your weapon in time?"

"Uh…"

When Naruto looked back at the person he was sitting on, they had changed genders. He was now sitting on a thin boy about a year younger than himself.

"What the hell? Weren't you a girl a second ago?"

He spat in Naruto's face.

"That's it, you little..!" He reached for the monkey statue again and Sakura slapped his hand away.

* * *

With the Genjutsu broken, the young lord and his guards regained their wits and Sai set them free. The would-be thief was tied up and brought before the young lord.

"I've never seen this man before," said Fumihiro.

"He was mascaraing as one of your servants. The girl who brought you tea."

Fumihiro looked worried. "She's worked for me for the past two years. She's a good servant. I gave her a vacation last week. You're saying an imposer returned in her place? What have you done to her?"

"Nothing," said the young man. "I told her that things were a bit hectic around the manor and she should enjoy an extra week of vacation. It was your order, so she didn't question it."

"I never…"

"I think he means that he disguised himself as you when he told her to take an extra week off," said Naruto.

"Oh." Fumihiro rubbed his temple. "You'll have to forgive me. My head's still a bit foggy."

"I thought he was just slow," Naruto mumbled and Sakura elbowed him in the gut.

* * *

When Fumihiro returned to his senses, he was shocked to discover the scroll in his hand and even more disheartened when he heard about all the events. The thief refused to say another word and was taken away. He didn't appear to be a ninja, but he could perform two kinds of jutsu. He had used a transformation and a Genjutsu. Since he would not talk, they weren't sure what to make of this.

Sakura and Ino established a timeline for the young lord, explaining how they figured things out. Naruto pouted a little, glum that they didn't bother to mention how he discovered the truth or how he was the one who ultimately captured the thief before any harm was done.

Fumihiro clutched the scroll tightly in his hands. "I can't believe I was fooled so easily. Thank goodness you were here to put an end to it."

"No problem."

"I'll have to find a new hiding spot for this scroll." Until then, he was keeping a tight hold on it. "Such trickery. To think, that man was able to disguise himself so well. Makes me wonder who I can trust."

"If you're ever in doubt, you can unmask them by giving them a good whack," said Ino.

Fumihiro grinned. "That is true. Your ninja skills give you an edge. You could figure it out before anyone else. Seems I have nothing to worry about with you around."

"If you ever need help in the future, just contact us, ok?"

Fumihiro seemed to be giving something serious consideration. He was quiet for a long time, staring at the ninja.

"Your skills are remarkable… And you did break that man's hold over me. You kept the scroll safe… And considering…"

"Considering..?" Sakura had no idea what Fumihiro was talking about.

"It doesn't matter." He looked them up and down, thinking hard. "There's the possibility of a return. Others… Hm… And your skills are remarkable. Especially yours."

"Me?" Ino pointed to herself.

"You are the one who rescued me. And you figured out the cause before anyone else. You can hold your own in a fight, I see. There really is so much…"

Ino and the others waited for Fumihiro to finish mulling something over in his mind. Once in a while he would mutter the word 'beneficial' and tilt his head slightly to one side, staring at them.

Fumihiro nodded his head up and down, smiling.

"Alright. I've decided. Why don't you stay here a while longer?"

Ino raised her brow. "What for? I thought our mission was pretty much over. I mean, we've taken care of most of the things you told us to do. Are there more details you haven't told us about?"

He chuckled as if she was a child trying to follow adult logic and coming up short of fully comprehending it.

"Actually, I had a different proposal in mind."

Ino's brows shot up her forehead at the word 'proposal', her ears trained to listen for it despite the context. Part of her thought he must have meant something else, like a second mission and promising to pay them extra money for it. Another part thought his choice of words was deliberate for a very important reason.

Fumihiro extended his hand to her, still smiling. "How would you like to stay here and become my wife?"

* * *

Who was expecting that?

Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"What?"

"Say what?"

"Huh?"

Sai just raised his brow.

Everyone else was staring openmouthed at Ino and the young lord. Ino couldn't take her eyes off him. She stared at his mouth as if hoping to read his words and see if he had said what she thought he said.

"W- wife?"

He nodded. "I'm serious. I've thought it over and have been considering it for some time. I figured I'd let you know my feelings by telling you. The best way to let a person know what they're thinking and feeling is to be upfront with them, wouldn't you agree?"

Ino's shock quickly went to giddiness and then just as quickly shy nervousness. She was fidgeting where she sat before his throne.

"Well, uh… Well, this is so sudden. I, uh…" She was looking at the ground and blushing.

"I understand," said Fumihiro. "That was rather abrupt. I apologize. Of course, you'll need time to think it over. You don't have to answer right away. Take your time. There's no hurry."

* * *

"That was out of the blue," Naruto said as he sat by the window overlooking the garden. "I didn't think he would do that. And they say I'm full of surprises."

"Ino, you can't be taking what that guy said under consideration, can you? Are you?" Sakura stood in front of her friend to have a girl-to-girl talk with her, in plain view of the two boys who could hear everything they were saying.

Ino shrugged. "Well… I am thinking about it."

"Are you serious? You just met the guy and you're thinking of marrying him just like that? I didn't think you were that easy or desperate."

Ino took offense but rather than insult her back, Ino instead defended herself and explained.

"Just because I'm thinking about it doesn't mean I will. I'm just thinking." She looked down. "And the young lord does have a lot of good things going for him. He's rich and good-looking. Plus, he's kind and clearly cares about me. Otherwise he wouldn't have said all those things and proposed."

"Yeah, but…" Sakura sighed, actually concerned for her friend. "Ino, are you really going to accept a proposal from any guy who asks?"

"Of course not."

"Any rich guy who asks?"

"… A good-looking rich guy."

Sakura sighed. "Ino…"

"I know what you're thinking. No, I am not desperate. But…" She looked away with a sigh. "Not only is he rich and good-looking, but he's kind and caring. He's respected by the people and all the servants seem to like him. With such a perfect guy… Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me I can do better?"

Sakura sighed.

"That's what I thought."

"But so suddenly…"

"I know. That's why I need time to think." Ino looked at Sakura as she was heading for the door, pausing just long enough to say, "Thanks for your concern, but ultimately this is my choice. Let me be the one to decide."

In the end the choice was hers. If her mind was made up, there was no changing it. Sakura understood that.

Sakura watched Ino leave the room. She listened for Ino's footsteps to disappear, then turned and looked directly at Sai.

"Are you going to just let her do that?"

Sai looked up from his position on the floor. "Huh?"

"You can open your mouth or stop her or something."

"I thought you were handling it."

Sakura pointed at the closed door. "You're seriously not going to say anything to her?"

Sai cocked his head. "What would I say?"

"I don't know. Something."

"If you don't know, how would I?"

Sakura growled and rubbed her temples. Then she glared at him. "You're seriously not going to do anything?"

"What would I do?"

"You two went on a date together."

"At her request."

"You said you had a nice time."

"I did."

"You went on another date."

"Because she asked me to."

"And the third date?"

"I was hungry."

"You went on a date with her because you were hungry?"

"Yeah," said Naruto. "That's the girl's job."

Sakura punched him.

"Why are you yelling at me like I did something wrong?" asked Sai.

"Because you dated her at least three times," Sakura told him.

"The third time she sat in the seat next to me. How is that my fault?"

"It was still a date."

"Categorized as one after the fact. I didn't initially agree to anything. It became a date to those around us when they saw us eat together and she deemed it a date as well. I had no say in it."

"That's usually how it is for the guy," Naruto muttered just loud enough for Sakura to hear and take another swing at him. "What? The girls call the shots on that sort of thing."

Sakura rounded on Sai again. "Three dates at least, and you have nothing to say?"

"What would I say?"

"I don't know!"

"Then how would I? This conversation is circling. One of us needs to figure it out."

"You do."

"Why me?" asked Sai. "Why do I have to say something to her? Is it just because we dated a few times? Some which I don't actually count as dates but just having a meal together or hanging out."

"Exactly!" Sakura threw her hands into the air. "That's exactly why you should say something."

"But why?"

"Grr!" Sakura rubbed her temples again. "Doesn't her considering a marriage proposal from another guy bother you at all?"

Sai raised his brow, frowning. "Why would it matter to me? It's her choice. Her conundrum."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Why would I care? The proposal was to her and not me."

Sakura let any residual anger pass into steam realizing that Sai really wasn't grasping the concept. Despite his growth, he was still pretty clueless when it came to this sort of thing.

"Sai," she said calmly. "She's considering marrying a guy outside the Leaf Village. You two have dated. She hasn't dated him. You two know each other better than he does. Nothing about that bothers you?"

"I don't see why it should."

"How dense can one guy be?" Naruto muttered.

"Ultimately, it's Ino's choice," said Sai. "I can't make any decisions for her. Like she said, it's up to her to figure it out. It really doesn't concern me."

Sakura thought Sai was being a complete idiot but shouting at him wouldn't help him figure it out. It would be like talking to a brick wall. She couldn't force him to understand.

Sometimes she had to remind herself that Sai's mind worked a bit differently than others. That was true of a lot of people. Not everyone thought the same. What was logical to one was illogical to another.

Additionally, her having a different mind set than Sai probably impacted her interpretation of what was being said. She was so focused on convincing Sai of something that she wasn't hearing what he was saying.

Now that she thought about it, Sakura was able to actually hear what Sai had been telling her.

Perhaps it wasn't that Sai was being clueless. Maybe he was seeing the whole thing unfold but knew he couldn't force Ino to do anything. Just like he said.

Breaking it down, Sakura now interpreted that to mean that Sai wanted Ino to be happy. He didn't want to forbid her from marrying someone just because it wasn't him. That must have been what Sai was trying to tell her. He was letting Ino do whatever she wanted and follow her heart.

While that seemed sweet on the surface, Sakura had her issues with it.

One of her concerns was Sai's lack of fight on the matter. If Sai didn't say or do anything, just as Sakura initially concluded, Ino would think that Sai really didn't care.

Sai could read all the books he wanted, but none of them could accurately describe the workings of a girl's inner mind. Compared to boys, girls were a lot more temperamental. Even if one could predict a girl's irrational behavior, they wouldn't be able to tell what the girl was thinking and feeling. Sometimes how they acted was very different from how they felt inside. Sometimes it matched perfectly. It was hard enough for a girl to understand what she was feeling and why, but for someone like Sai…

No such manual existed.

Even worse, Ino's mood could change at the drop of a hat. Usually there was a reason, but Sai wasn't very good at picking up hints.

The more Sakura thought about it, the more she wondered if Ino was giving the lord's proposal some thought in order to test them. Maybe she wanted Sai to fight for her. Then again, maybe she didn't. Maybe she just wanted to think about it and make up her own mind.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"You've been standing there staring at me for the past couple of minutes," Sai told her. "Are you expecting me to say something, or..?"

"Uh, no. Just thinking." Sakura took a couple steps back.

Naruto gave a loud sigh and gave his input. "I think you're making a bigger deal out of this than you need to. Like Sai said, Ino can make her own choice. If she wants to marry a rich lord who's nice to her, let her. She probably won't anyway because she doesn't know him that well. If we make the decision for her, then she'll never know and be pissed off because she wasn't the one who made the decision for herself. She'll be pissed at us for taking that from her."

It seemed Naruto understood more than Sakura gave him credit for.

"You really think so?" Sakura asked him.

"Of course. Besides, Ino might be irrational, but she's not an idiot. She can marry a guy she knows nothing about or she can decline and find a guy she does like. We already know she likes someone else."

Sai looked at him. "She does?"

"You, you idiot."

"Oh." Sai didn't look surprised. "I thought you knew of someone else."

"I think Sakura's worried she might if you don't get your butt moving and talk to Ino."

Sai frowned. "But I already said that I have nothing to tell her. Sakura's criticism was pretty thorough. And I already said that it's her choice. You agreed with me from the sound of things. You said that we can't force Ino to choose one or the other. The choice is hers."

"Yeah, but I think Sakura's worried that Ino might choose someone else if they think no one cares if she does."

Sai looked confused. "Does what?"

"If she chooses someone else," Naruto annunciated slowly.

Sai still looked a little confused but he didn't say anything further.

Sakura rubbed her forehead, wondering if they had to spell things out for Sai after all.

Maybe she had given Sai too much credit and Naruto not enough.

* * *

Ino stood on the porch of the lord's large house, thinking. She looked at all the flowers and imagined herself back at her family's flower shop. All the familiar faces coming in and out; the slow days she would pass by reading magazines; how she would chat with friends when they came in to visit her.

If she married the young lord, those days would be gone. She wouldn't be at the flower shop anymore. She would be living here with him.

It sounded a bit lonely, but such a life would have its perks. On the plus side, she would never have to work again. While she liked working at her family's shop, there were times when she wished she was doing something else.

How many times had she wanted to hang out with friends but had to mind the shop because her parents said so? How many times had she complained about work? The busy days, the slow days. How she had been given the responsibility, whether or not she asked for it. How many times did she see it as a burden? How many times did she see it as a joy?

Compared to other things she could have been doing, minding the flower shop was pretty easy. It was still work and there was plenty to complain about, but she liked working there. She loved flowers. She loved learning about them, how they looked and smelled. It wasn't a bad job at all. It even gave her a sense of pride. She was proud that her family owned the flower shop. She was quick to point it out to people she introduced herself to. That was one of the first things she told Sai when they first met.

Sai.

He was pretty quiet about the whole proposal thing. She thought he would have said something.

Why hadn't he said anything?

She kind of wanted Sai to challenge the young lord to a duel for her hand. She loved the idea of two guys fighting over her. Even if Sai didn't react violently, he could have at least said that she was spoken for. At least then she would know he cared.

He must have cared, right?

She knew he did. The signs were there.

Then why was he so quiet?

Was he in shock?

Surely, he would have said something by now.

Why didn't he?

"Miss Ino?"

She looked up. Fumihiro was standing beside her.

"I'm sorry to put you on the spot like that."

"No, it's ok," she told him. "You said I had time to think about it and I am."

"Yes, but," said Fumihiro, "I feel I'm still not being fair to you. I have given you time to think, but to think about what exactly? We hardly know each other."

"Yeah, there's that…"

"So I thought we should both be given a fighting chance, yes?" He smiled at her. "I would like to get to know you better and you should know me better as well. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh, sure."

"Good. Then I think we should spend some time together. Get to know one another."

* * *

Sakura paced the room. "Where is she?"

Naruto and Sai sat on the floor where they were.

"Guys?"

"What?"

"Should we try to find her?"

"She said she wanted to be alone," said Naruto. "She said she wanted to think."

"Someone should still go after her," said Sakura.

"Why?"

"Because sometimes a girl says that because they secretly want someone to chase after them," said Sai. "I read about it. I believe it had sometime to do with wanting comfort from a caring person without having to say anything. It's also a kind of test to see if someone cares enough about you to come after you."

It seemed Sai did know a bit about girls after all.

"Although, sometimes girls just want to be alone and don't want you to chase after them. If you do they get mad at you. The situation gets worse from there."

Girls truly were complicated. Sakura should really cut Sai some slack for not fully understanding them because girls had a hard time figuring themselves out as well. At least Sai had the basics down.

"You." Sakura pointed at Sai. "You go after her."

"But what if it's a situation when she didn't want someone going after her?"

"Then go find her and figure it out." Sakura pulled Sai to his feet. "Come back and tell us which one it is."

Sai allowed himself to be pushed towards the door but once he got there, he started dragging his feet. Sakura pressed both palms into his back, pushing him closer to the door.

"Clearly, you're concerned for Ino's wellbeing and worried about her choice," said Sai. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to go?"

"Nope. You do it."

"You want me to try to sway her mind towards a more favorable choice? After what we just talked about?" Sai turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "Is this your way of saying that I should do it because then she's mad at me and not you?"

"That's one way to look at it."

Sai gave her a fearful expression. "But… But…"

Sakura opened the door and shoved him into the hall. "Find her and figure it out!" She slammed the door in his face.

Sighing, he turned and walked down the hall to find Ino.

Naruto stared at Sakura, confused by what just happened. "Ok… So, what was that about? You want Ino to get pissed at him? I though you said-"

"I want Sai to find Ino and tell her how he feels."

Naruto looked at Sakura as if she had grown a second head. "You know Sai's no good at talking about feelings. Up until two years ago, he was convinced he didn't have any. The guy consults books to figure out what he should do when it comes to being social."

"He's gotten better at it. You said so yourself."

"Yes, compared to before. But…"

Sakura faced Naruto. "Ino obviously likes Sai. She said so. She shows it all the time. Sai went out on a couple dates with her. He clearly likes her, too."

"I'm pretty sure a couple of those were pity dates."

"A couple years ago, we couldn't picture Sai dating at all. This is huge for him."

"But…"

"Come on, Naruto. Are you going to tell me that you honestly think there's going to be another girl who can tolerate him half as well as Ino?" Sakura asked, folding her arms. "Not only does she like him, but she can tolerate him. Getting through the first date without being punch is a miracle. The fact that he went on two more dates after that was nothing short of phenomenal."

Naruto's shoulders slumped. "And yet you shoved him out there, risking Ino getting angry at him and ruining it."

"I just want Sai to talk to her. Express some feelings. At the very least, share his thoughts on the matter."

"You think that's wise?"

"It'll mean more coming from Sai than it will from me." Sakura took a seat and waited for Sai's return. "I'm sure it will be fine."

* * *

Sai could hear Ino's voice coming from the end of the hall. She must have been talking to someone. Sai approached silently and peered around the corner.

He could see flowers from the garden and the back of Ino's head. He also saw the young lord.

"… Wouldn't you agree?"

"Uh, sure."

"Good. Then I think we should spend some time together. Get to know one another."

Sai saw Ino leave with the young lord.

Silence followed.

Sai straightened up. It seemed he didn't have to risk talking to her after all.

She wasn't available.

For some reason that bothered him.

He wasn't sure why. As he said before, it was Ino's choice. Her decision impacted her life.

Although, it evidently impacted a lot of other lives as well.

He was sure there was nothing to worry about. They were just getting to know each other. What was the harm in just talking?

Sai went back to their room where Sakura immediately asked him what happened.

"Did it go well?"

"Fine," he said quietly.

"Did you talk to her?"

"No, she was taking with the young lord."

Naruto asked him, "Are you ok?"

"Fine." Sai walked over to his bag, opened it, took out a book and started reading.

Naruto and Sakura looked at each other.

They couldn't tell if Sai was in shock, sulking or just numb. Did he not understand what it potentially meant or did he know all too well what this could lead to?

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Sai continued reading while Sakura and Naruto stayed quiet. They were quiet for a long time.

Then Naruto broke the silence. "You're seriously ok with her talking to Fumihiro?"

"They're just talking. He said he wanted to get to know her better."

"And you're not bothered by that at all?"

"They're just talking."

"And I bet that's what you're trying to convince yourself." Naruto found himself agreeing with Sakura. Sai might have been emotionally stifled for most of his life, but things were different now. He had emotions. He was better at figuring them out. Even Naruto thought Sai was more human now compared to before when he thought Sai was just plain strange.

Either Sai didn't know what he was feeling or he was in denial, but there was no way he wasn't feeling anything in this situation. Naruto had a gut feeling that Sai was upset by this. He must have been using that book as a sort of escape.

Naruto crossed the room and put his hand on the book, lowering it. "Sai, it's obvious that her getting to know the young lord is bothering you."

"I don't see why it should. It's her-"

"Choice. Yes, we know. But you have a say in this, too."

"The proposal wasn't direct towards me."

"No, but if it's directed at Ino, it affects you, too."

"It affects all of us," said Sai. "I'm aware that if Ino accepts, she'll be leaving the Leaf Village and moving here. Things will be different."

"And that has to bother you!"

Sai frowned. "It… Affects me. But… Bothers me…" He sighed. "We were never that close. I'm closer to you guys. We've done more together. Been together longer."

"But you said you liked her."

"I do. But…" Sai was avoiding Naruto's eyes. "I don't think…"

"Just tell me what's going on in that head of yours," Naruto told him firmly. "You're the most open and honest person I know. Maybe it's because of what you've been through. Maybe it's because you had to get reacquainted with your emotions. I don't care. All I know is that you have feelings and you're more in touch with them than you think. You're better than you were, Sai, so I know you know what you're feeling."

Sai looked him in the eye. "I don't."

The sincerity in his gaze made Naruto falter. "… What?"

"I don't know what I'm feeling," Sai said earnestly. "If anything, I feel confused. I don't think it bothers me, but a part of me feels bothered and I don't know why. I don't know what I'm feeling."

Sai was experiencing new emotions.

Sai's emotional range was growing. This meant he was going to be feeling several new emotions and in complicated situations he was going to be experiencing more than one at a time. To someone as sensitive as him, he was going to be feeling them more than someone else in his situation.

It was commonly believed that men could only feel one emotion at a time while women could feel several at once. Sai wasn't feminine, but he was starting to be able to feel more than one emotion at a time. The problem was that he couldn't decipher those feelings if they all occurred at once.

His sensitivity made him more in tune with his emotions than others. He was able to understand emotions better than others. It could have been a natural thing or the fact that he had studied so hard to get in touch with his emotions again.

Overall, he was able to identify emotions in others because he could himself. Sai knew he had feelings and was more in touch with them now than before. However, he still had his issues.

A situation like this would leave someone like Sai confused.

However, hearing Sai admit that he wasn't sure what he was feeling also told Naruto something very important.

He knew what this must have meant.

The problem was that he couldn't tell Sai nor explain it to him. This was something Sai had to discover for himself.

It wasn't that Naruto couldn't help him, it was that he shouldn't. Not when it dealt with something like this.

Naruto backed off. "Ok." Naruto sat back. "Ok. That's fine. I'm not going to pressure you. You do what you want."

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise. "Naru…"

He shook his head. He stood up and walked back over to Sakura. He shook his head again and whispered, "He's got this. Let him do it."

Sakura didn't know what he meant, but it seemed that Naruto had already reached the conclusion. She needed time to catch up, so she left the matter alone.

* * *

A servant came to summon them for lunch.

They were escorted to the dining hall and sat at the same table as before, only this time, they were short two members. Ino and the young lord arrived shortly after they did, walking side by side. Fumihiro sat at the head of the table and Ino was seated closest to him.

Sai started eating. Sakura and Naruto glances at each other, wondering if Sai was purposely ignoring them or if he truly hadn't noticed. They picked up their chopsticks and started to eat as well.

Ino asked Fumihiro several questions and he did his best to answer. He also took the time to point out different things in the room.

"If you notice that portrait of me hanging above that plant there," he said pointing to the wall, "among the other family portraits…"

Ino looked at it. From the way the young lord spoke, it was obviously a point of pride and was eager to show it off. "Yes, it's very nice."

"I had that done quite recently by a famous painter in the Land of Fire. Took me a while to track him down, but he painted most of the portraits you see and his father and grandfather did the others. A long line of talent, as you can see." Fumihiro chuckled. "Ah, he charges a princely sum, too, but I'm pleased with the results. Isn't it lovely work?"

"It is," Ino agreed.

Sai barely glanced at the painting before saying, "I could easily paint something like that myself. And I wouldn't have to pay someone to do it for me."

Everyone looked at Sai. Fumihiro didn't look insulted, but the rest of the table looked surprised.

Even if he was blunt, he usually didn't say things like that, especially to a young lord who employed them for a mission. In such a case, he usually kept his comments to himself. This wasn't typical of his quiet self.

Fumihiro smiled. "Ah, yes. You are a painter or sorts, aren't you?"

"You could say that." Sai barely looked at him, poking a piece of shrimp with his chopsticks.

"Well, I guess you do have a point. It is easier to pay someone to paint it for me. I lack the skill. But it is good of me to have such connections, isn't it? I know several famous people." Fumihiro turned to Ino. "I could even summon the painter here to do your portrait. Wouldn't that be something?"

Before Ino could answer, Sai cut in with a quick, "There's no need for that. I've already painted her portrait."

"Have you? I'd love to see it and compare. I still think it would be nice of her to have one done by a renowned artist. It would be different from yours, in terms of style, I mean," said Fumihiro. "And he does very good work. Such detail, you would swear you were looking into a mirror."

Sai didn't lift his head, but he did look at the young lord from the corner of his eye. "I could paint that with the same amount of detail. Plus, I can bring it to life."

Naruto raised his brow, staring at Sai.

Was he bragging? Sai didn't normally do this.

He was either doing this to impress Ino or discredit the young lord. Since Ino was already aware of Sai's artistic talent, Sai must have been trying to show him up.

"Oh, could you? Very impressive."

"I've already demonstrated that skill but you clearly don't recall. We were rescuing you at the time. Clearly your attention was elsewhere."

"So!" Sakura said loudly in hopes of getting everyone's attention on something else. "Just how long are we planning on staying? If the mission is over then we shouldn't hang around here too long."

The young lord didn't miss a beat, despite Sai's snide comments. If he harbored any resentment, he did a good job of not showing it.

"Not too long, I should say," he told her politely. "I would like to have you around for at least a little while longer. If that's alright."

He was looking at Ino.

"Uh, sure."

"Great. I'll have the servants prepare a small feast to celebrate. Only fitting considering what you've done for me. It'll be my way of thanking you."

Or to impress Ino further.

As they were finishing lunch, the young lord addressed Ino again.

"May I show you some of my collections, Miss Ino? There are a few books that might catch your interest. Several feature flowers."

"Alright. Um…" Ino looked over at Sai. "If that's ok."

He looked up.

Ino looked into his eyes for a while, urging him to say something. She was also trying to read him. She wondered what he would say about this. She would be spending more private time with the young lord, after all.

"It's fine," Sai said. "Go ahead."

"You… You don't mind?"

Sai didn't avert his gaze. "No."

"Oh." He didn't seem to care that she was spending time with the young lord.

"He invited you," he said to Ino. "It would be rude to decline a direct invitation from a lord, wouldn't it?"

"I guess you're right," Ino said slowly. "Alright. I guess I'll join you since no one sees a reason why I shouldn't."

"Wonderful. Follow me, Miss Ino."

Ino followed Fumihiro, glancing back at Sai only once but he wasn't looking at her.

She thought he would have stopped her or said something. Maybe she read him wrong. Maybe they weren't as close as she thought. Or maybe he meant what he said and thought Ino would insult the young lord if she didn't comply. Maybe Sai didn't want to boss her around and let her make the final call. While it was a nice thought that Sai wanted Ino to make her own decisions, she wanted him to protest a little. Maybe not dictate what she did but…

Sakura leaned over to Sai. "Are you kidding me? That was a perfect opportunity."

"To do what?" he asked.

"To tell her you didn't want her to go with him."

"But I don't care if she does. It doesn't affect me. They're just looking at books. Besides, I wasn't invited. Otherwise, I would have joined them."

Sakura growled. "Sai, you could have told her that you were uncomfortable with it."

"But I'm not. The invitation wasn't directed at me."

"Ino asked you if you were ok with it."

"And I am. Whatever people do is their decision. I don't care what you do from this moment on because it's how you want to spend your day."

"Are you seriously not seeing it?"

"Seeing what?" Sai asked. "Who am I to tell Ino what she can and can't do? The invitation was to her and not me. It wouldn't be right of me to tear it up in front of her if she wanted to go."

He did have a point. However, Sakura still felt that Ino looking at Sai and asking him if he was comfortable with her spending so much time with the young lord was a test. She wanted to see if Sai cared enough to stop her. Since he hadn't, Ino probably felt that Sai didn't care. She was already wondering about their relationship and if Sai loved her as much as she loved him. If he didn't stop her, then to Ino, this must have meant that they weren't an item after all.

"Sai, if you…"

Naruto tapped Sakura on the shoulder. "I don't think it's our place to tell Sai what to do anymore than he should tell Ino."

Sakura backed off.

Naruto seemed to understand the situation and found it was best to let Sai do as he wished for reasons she still couldn't grasp. She wanted to ask Naruto what he knew but couldn't do it in front of Sai. Until she knew exactly what Naruto was planning, she shouldn't be putting words in Sai's mouth or ordering him to do something just because she thought he should.

Ultimately, this was up to Sai. It was his burden to bear and his choice to make.

* * *

Sai wandered around the halls, restless. He wondered how Ino was doing and thought he should check up on her.

He peered into one of the rooms and saw the young lord and Ino sitting at a table together, leaning over a book. She seemed to be having a nice time. They were having a conversation and Ino was smiling.

If he had told her she couldn't be with the young lord, she would have been missing out on this fun. What would she have been doing instead? Sitting around like they were? What fun was that? Even Sai was bored. He believed he made the right call in letting Ino spend time with Fumihiro. At least she wasn't bored.

Although, he could be spending time with her instead. He felt a bit lonely without her standing next to him.

He didn't understand why. He could hang out with Naruto and Sakura just as easily.

But it was different.

He wondered what changed.

He had spent a long time without Ino at his side. He knew how to have fun without her. He knew how to keep busy. It was only recently when he started hanging out with her.

Now that he had, he found that he enjoyed it.

Normal activities didn't seem as fun without her anymore.

What changed?

It was fine before, but now things seemed different.

He heard Ino giggle and looked into the room again. Fumihiro was smiling.

Ino could make Sai smile, too. Without him having to think about it, he could smile.

Now she was making Fumihiro smile.

And that giggle of hers. He remembered when he made her giggle. How it gave him a sense of accomplishment. How he enjoyed hearing it.

Hearing her giggle when he wasn't there made him feel as if she and the young lord were sharing in a secret joke he wasn't a part of.

Sai moved away from the door before he could hear anymore.

He returned to the guest room and opened his book. He tried to read it but he kept reading the same sentence over and over again as his mind wandered and his eyes slide out of focus.

He couldn't concentrate.

What he could do was remember fond experiences with Ino when they weren't on missions and how he enjoyed himself.

He briefly wondered if Ino was feeling sentimental, too, and thought of him while she was hanging out with Fumihiro.

He wasn't sure if that would be awkward or not.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Since it had been a low month for ninja requests, Kakashi was generous with the vacation time. His excuse was that it was summer and most people enjoyed a vacation around this time. He encouraged Naruto to take a break from his studies and join his friends for a bit of summer fun. After all, when he became Hokage, he wouldn't get too many days off to hang out with friends. He needed to enjoy himself when he had the time.

Of course, Naruto looked for any excuse to hang out with friends, so he took Kakashi up on the offer.

It was a unanimous decision to go to the beach and spend the day there. The gang loaded up on beach toys, towels and sunscreen. Before long, they were running in the sand and kicking at the waves.

Naruto ran into the water before anyone else and a large wave knocked him back on dry land.

This gave Naruto some times to look around at the others and wonder if any would join him in play.

The girls were still setting things up on the beach, rolling out their towels in the sand and putting up beach umbrellas. Choji set a large cooler in the shade and made sure his towel was right next to it. Kiba and Akamaru were running along the shore and Shino kept to himself under a large parasol. He was one of the few not in a swimsuit. Apparently, he had no intention of swimming with the others. Perhaps he didn't want to risk drowning his insects.

"Didn't you bring a suit?" Naruto asked him.

"I'm wearing it."

Naruto shielded his eyes from the sun and leaned closer for a better look. "Where? You mean the jacket and pants you're wearing are your suit? Weird."

"Under my clothes, genius."

"Oh."

Shino wasn't the only one unwilling to enter the water. Looking around, Naruto spotted another friend lingering on the shore, far from the waves.

Sai was wearing his swim trunks just like most of the others, but he didn't look ready to swim. He was also wearing a short-sleeved shirt he left unbuttoned.

He stood near the grassy hill just shy of where the sand met grass, watching the large group. He had a good view from where he stood. He didn't seem to be unwilling to join them. He seemed content watching them interact with one another.

Thinking he may have been waiting for an invitation, Naruto got ready to call him over.

"Sai!" Ino called before he had the chance. "Can you come here and put some sunscreen on me?"

Sai walked over to Ino and crouched down on the beach towel she was sitting on. She kept her back to him as she handed over the bottle of sunscreen.

Naruto wasn't the only one who was watching Sai rub the sunscreen on Ino's back and shoulders while she blushed. Shikamaru glanced up from where he was resting under his own parasol and ever so slightly raised his brow. Shino took a long look as well but no one noticed because of his tinted goggles.

Ino bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep her smile from becoming noticeable but failed.

No one commented on what they saw, but every one of them had the same thought.

Sai took his hands off Ino. "All done."

"Thanks," she said, keeping her head turned the other way. "It was hard to reach my back, so I appreciate the help, Sai."

"It's alright."

Sai was about to get up with his job finished, when Ino asked shyly, "Do you want me to return the favor and rub some on you?"

Sai looked at his open shirt. "I don't think I need it while I have this on. It covers my shoulders and back."

"Oh." Ino seemed disappointed and Sai wasn't sure why.

"Naruto might expect me to swim, which means I'll have to take off my shirt." Considering this, Sai took Ino up on the offer. "Alright."

Ino gleefully turned around and helped Sai take off his shirt. She rubbed the sunscreen into his back with both hands, kneading his skin with her fingers.

"Ooh, I can feel your muscles," she commented in a seductive whisper.

"When you grip me like that, I'd be surprised if you couldn't."

Kiba finally noticed and called out, "Do I need to hose you two down?"

Ino grabbed the bottle of sunscreen and threw it at Kiba's head. "Shut up!"

Sai saw the bottle hit Kiba on the shoulder then bounce into the water. "We still needed that."

Realizing he was right, Ino called after Kiba, "Bring that back here!"

"Why? You threw it!"

"Now!"

"Guh!" Kiba threw his hands in the air then went into the water to retrieve it. When he found it, he tossed it to her. It sunk partway in the sand just shy of her towel. "There, you happy?"

Sai remained quiet, not wanting to make the situation worse.

Ino picked up the bottle and went back to massaging Sai's shoulders.

He was going to tell her that he thought she got all the sunscreen in by now, but he enjoyed the feeling too much to say anything. The massage felt really good.

When Ino's hands got tired, she wrapped her arms around Sai's shoulders in a hug. He felt her chest pressing on his back but didn't say anything. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was too mellow to form any words.

"Thanks," he finally managed.

"Sure thing," she told him and played with a stand of his hair.

It was a hot day, the shade was nice and the massage had relaxed him quite a bit. All those things combined made him unwilling to go into the water just yet. He wanted to hang out here for a bit.

Besides, being with Ino wasn't too bad. When she wasn't upset, she was very approachable. She also liked pampering him, which Sai found to be a rare quality in anyone he knew personally. No one ever wanted to show him affection. It was nice to be cared for in such a way.

Sai repositioned himself on the towel so he was looking out at the water. After another minute, he fell back onto the towel and looked at the inside of the parasol and the part of the sky it wasn't blocking.

Then he turned his gaze to Ino who had chosen to remain upright. She was wearing a purple bikini with a white flower pattern. He hadn't really noticed it until now.

Ino occasionally looked back at him and Sai would avert his gaze, unsure of wear he should rest his eyes. Normally he wouldn't have looked away, unsure of why girls wouldn't want to be stared at wearing such revealing clothing, or lack thereof; but for some reason being caught staring at her made Sai feel uncomfortable.

Perhaps shyness would be a quality he would have, given his docile nature, but he was normally so blunt and curious. He never thought of himself as shy. Though, he did act shy when he was first trying to make friends after his first mission with Naruto and Sakura. Maybe he had it in him after all.

Still, why did he catch himself looking away from Ino when she looked at him, but didn't look away when other girls passed him by or looked at him? Why was she the one making him nervous?

He sat up and Ino tried placing her head on his shoulder. He moved away before she could.

He looked at her. She looked at him.

In the shade of the parasol, her eyes looked really nice. The sunlight cast colored patterns of the parasol on Ino's skin. He assumed the same thing was happening to him, but he was only paying attention to her.

Was she getting closer to him or was she somehow pulling him in? Before Sai knew it, their noses were almost touching.

He tried to speak, but he didn't know what to say. He could only make a dull noise that sounded almost like a question.

What was he doing?

What was this feeling compelling him to do?

Sai remained where he was as Ino moved closer to him.

Either she wanted him to do something or she was making a move to show him what was expected.

But if she got any closer to him, then they would…

"Cannonball!"

Sai and Ino's eyes widened when they saw Lee zoom by in a tight green speedo which left little to the imagination. It was enough to make both of them stop.

Lee ran straight to the water and did exactly as he declared, creating a wave large enough to soak Kiba and Akamaru who were still running around the shore.

Everyone else reacted to what Lee was wearing. Hinata had covered her eyes with both hands, turning red from embarrassment.

"Lee! That's your suit?!"

"Where's the rest of it?"

Lee stood up in the water, turning his body to face them. "What?"

A soaked Kiba took time between laughs to insult Lee's suit, being sure to call attention to its tightness.

"Lee!" Tenten shrieked. "I told you not to wear that thing!"

"But this leads to less tread in the water," Lee explained. "This sleek design will allow me to swim faster in the water and double my record."

"Record of what? People averting their eyes? Take that thing off!"

"But not in front of us!"

"Like he's dumb enough to do that. Give the man a little credit."

Naruto stopped cringing long enough to give Lee's tiny suit a second glance. "Wait, is that true? You can really move faster in the water wearing something like that?"

"Don't you go getting any funny ideas," Sakura threatened.

Lee sighed. "Oh, alright." He walked out of the water and back onto the sandy shore to change.

"A bold choice, though, Lee," said Choji. "You can be a trendsetter."

"Really?"

"Don't encourage him, Choji," said Ino. "That suit is so hard to look at, it hurts my eyes."

Though the sight of that green speedo did cause Sai to stop in his tracks and even surprise him, he didn't think the suit was as bad as people made it out to be. Maybe he was able to tolerate it better because he was used to the male form. However, even the boys were uncomfortable looking at it. Concluding that his tolerance was based off having a different perspective, Sai understood why it was hard for them to look at it.

"Lee!" called Kiba. "Can you toss me that frisbee?"

Lee looked at the red object behind his heels. "Sure."

He bent over right in front of Ino.

Sai covered her eyes for her.

"Lee!" she screamed, her face changing colors from having to see it up close. "Change your damn suit! Now!"

Lee quickly tossed the frisbee to Kiba and ran off.

Sai kept his hands over Ino's eyes to protect her from 'further harm' but she could clearly hear Kiba laughing at her expense.

"You did that on purpose!" she shouted in Kiba's direction. "You jerk!"

"What, me? Nah!"

"I'll kill you!" Ino lowered Sai's hands and proceeded to chase Kiba around the beach. "That was for the sunscreen bottle, wasn't it? You jerk!"

Shikamaru laid back down under his parasol. "Ah, women," he sighed.

* * *

The ninja weren't the only ones at the beach that day. Plenty of local beachgoers and vacationers had gathered on the sandy shore for a day of fun. At first, the groups remained separate, but after a while of running around the beach and frolicking in the water, the two sides began to take notice of each other. The long glances turned into mingling and now several were showing off to the other group.

The locals admired the well-toned ninja boys and the beautiful female forms chad in swimsuits. Within no time at all, the girls on the scene had come up with several excuses to view the ninja boys more closely. The excuses ranged from playing helpless when it came to opening a bottle of soda or opening their beach umbrellas, to needing something on the other side of the beach so they would have to walk by the group.

The girls were bolder than the boys, it seemed, because the local male population decided to keep their distance for a while before approaching the ninja girls. They alternated between wolf whistles and giving them nods of approval with charming smiles. Others simply stared for a while before hastily turning their gazes away. When some of the girls seemed interested or at the very least flattered, the boys approached, certain they wouldn't be chased away or smacked.

Kiba was quick to show off, striking poses for the girls and demonstrating his strength by lifting as many heavy things as he could find. When he tried to carry the colder to the other side of the beach, Choji threatened him and leaned on the top.

Shikamaru wasn't oblivious to the stares he was receiving either but chose to pretend to be asleep so he wouldn't have to deal with them. He opened his eyes long enough to catch Naruto and Lee organizing a game of volleyball. That summoned an even bigger crowd of girls who were eager to watch them play. Naturally, Shikamaru remained where he was while the others held nothing back, even during a friendly game.

Naruto and Sai battled against Lee and Kiba while the others stood by and watched. Considering how each side seemed to be playing not just for a good time but for the purpose of showing off, no one was actually keeping score. Naruto was going to use his clones to counter Kiba's Tunneling Fang move but their friends shouted about how jutsu was against the rules and therefore could not be used, even in a friendly game.

No one knew who won in the end, but each side had worked up a sweat. They declared it a good game and went to find something else to do.

Shikamaru watched Naruto return to Hinata who handed him a cold drink while Kiba continued to show off for the girls who seemed more interested in his dog than him. Lee, now dressed in a pair of green shorts, did some training while a group of girls gathered to watch.

Where was Sai?

Shikamaru sat up, wondering where he went.

He found him shortly after sitting up near the wooden shack which housed the vending machines. He, too, had a group of girls following him. It seemed they wanted to get him alone before approaching. Flirting with him in front of his friends didn't seem to appeal to them.

Sai didn't react no matter how close they got to him. He also didn't seem fazed by their tight swimsuits. He smiled politely at them while they complimented his good game and how he looked in his suit.

Shikamaru turned his head.

Even while dating Hinata, Naruto couldn't fight back the blush on his face when the girls ran up to complement him. He seemed to like the attention, but he didn't make a move or lead them on in any way. The blush seemed to be coming from his enjoyment and nervousness. He basked in their attention while inching his way over to Hinata, more interested in being with her but unable to say anything to the girls.

Kiba's body language spoke for itself. He made sure to flex his muscles as often as he could and showed off by doing backflips in the sand. His face turned bright red when the girls squeezed his upper arm, feeling his muscles and squealing. When he wasn't doing this, he was openly bragging about his talents and accomplishments, several of which either never happened or did occur but the glory went to someone else. If Shino ever left the safety of his parasol, he would be all too happy to set the record straight. In the meantime, Kiba was free to say whatever he pleased.

Shikamaru looked back at Sai who was as pale as ever. Despite how close the girls had gotten, he never turned red. He also didn't seem nervous around them at all. He wasn't even showing off.

Indifference had a way of attracting women, but that wasn't what Sai was doing. It was as if he didn't really notice them. Above all, he didn't seem to be aware of the fact that they were flirting with him.

Sai couldn't have been this emotionally stunted, could he?

No, he must have simply been clueless. That was true for a lot of guys. They were quick to notice when girls were interested in someone else, but completely escaped them when they were the ones being flirted with. When that happened, the only way they would find out would be if someone pointed it out to them.

Sai seemed to be in that group, as far as Shikamaru could tell.

After all, he never seemed to notice how much Ino liked him, even though everyone else knew.

"It's another Hinata situation," Shikamaru declared, shaking his head. "Everyone knew except Naruto and everyone knows except Sai."

He kept quiet about it because he didn't see the point in opening his mouth and calling attention to it. Playing matchmaker was far too troublesome. Still, he knew for a fact that Sai and Ino had been out on a date recently. Sai did seem closer to Ino than before, but nothing else had really changed.

If this meant he wasn't interested, why was Ino still flirting with him? Did she not get the hint or want to keep trying? No, that wasn't it. Sai's behavior was all wrong for something like that. He would have become more distant if he wasn't interested. The opposite happened. Sai had gotten closer to her.

Did he just not know how to respond? Or was he just pokerfaced like Shino?

Or perhaps he didn't know what he was feeling.

Shikamaru looked at the water where the girls had gathered while the boys stood on the beach and watched them splash each other seductively. Ino was among them, taking handfuls of water and throwing it at the others.

He had gotten close to Ino over the years. They worked well as a team and he was able to call her his friend. He couldn't do that before.

She had come a long way from demanding to be the group's leader because she was convinced that was the only way it would work, but she still had some selfish tendencies. She still liked to have her way and loved being the center of attention, but she did care about others. Now she was able to show it. Despite her selfishness, she was a caring individual. She didn't just want to learn medical ninjutsu to make herself useful or to compete with Sakura; she wanted to help people. She wanted to be able to help someone.

She had grown up quite a bit, but the attitude was still there. She still liked to compete and she still wanted to be seen as beautiful. In short, she was a self-centered girl who cared about people and was tender towards others. That was the way Shikamaru saw her now.

He was glad she wasn't a brat like before, but she was still Ino. She liked to complain and speak her mind and she was pretty selfish. Shikamaru was able to tolerate it because he had trained himself to tune it out and because he knew she had a sweet side to her. But to those who didn't know her, she could be pretty abrasive.

Maybe it was because he had gotten to know her over the years or maybe it was because she was his friend and teammate. Either way, Shikamaru wanted her to be happy.

She may not have been his type, but…

Did Sai even have a type?

Even after going on a date with her, did he even notice that she liked him?

Looking at Ino shamelessly flirt with Sai and watching him having little to no reaction at all, no matter the girl, this had Shikamaru a little concerned.

It wasn't just Ino he wasn't reacting to, it was every girl. Maybe this was just how he was. If that was the case, how was Ino supposed to know if he liked her back or not?

Choji opened the colder by Shikamaru's head to dig out a sandwich. "Ladies' men, huh, Shikamaru?"

"Hm?"

"The others. Naruto's popular with the girls who aren't even at our village. How about that? Come a long way, huh?"

"Yeah. But not everyone."

"Oh, come on," said Choji. "I saw you getting some looks, too. I bet you'd get more if you got off your butt and moved around a little."

"No, Choji…"

"Yeah, it's a bit too hot for that. But that's what the water's for, right?"

"No, I mean I wasn't talking about me."

"Oh."

"I was talking about Sai."

"Oh…" Choji looked over his shoulder and back at Shikamaru. "Well, you know how he is. Naruto and Sakura had to basically teach him how to express emotions, from what I heard."

"Actually, it was that he couldn't feel emotions but he could fake expressions is more the thing. He was trained not to feel anything from a young age. What he went through was supposed to kill his emotions and make sure he couldn't feel anything. They wanted him to be an emotionless tool. Naruto was the one who helped him get in touch with his feelings again, but after so long, he was unable to express them easily."

"Yeah," Choji said with a sigh. "I bet it's also hard for him because he wasn't able to learn about how to deal with your emotions like we were when we were kids. Poor guy. All that stuff must have it super hard to know what he's feeling and why, much less how to express it."

Shikamaru nodded his head. "Yeah. That's the problem."

"But that was some time ago. Sai knows how to feel things. We were there to watch it all go down, remember? How we all got to know each other and seeing him mess things up sometimes. You gotta admit that he doesn't screw up as much as he did, right?" said Choji. "He's able to express himself more appropriately, don't you think? Compared to before, I mean."

"Yeah, but he's still not at the same level as the rest of us. A part of him is still learning. At least he's gotten past the part where he doesn't think he understands emotions. Clearly, he does now. He doesn't have to question himself as much and according to Naruto, he's been consulting books less and less these days."

"See? That shows you that he's better in touch with his emotions than back then. So what are you worried about?"

Shikamaru tried to explain. "Sai and Ino went out a couple weeks ago. On a date."

"And?"

"And you know how Ino feels about him."

"He went out with her willingly. What's that tell you about him?"

Shikamaru sighed. "I know he considers her a friend now and they're closer than a couple years ago, but…"

"But?"

"Can Sai express feelings of love? Or even know what it is?"

Choji opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out. After wrapping his mind around the puzzle, he said, "Ohh…"

"You see?" Shikamaru sat up fully and rested his arm on his raised knee. "Even if Sai liked her back, can he express it? With everything else, Naruto said he needed someone to hold his hand through it. Telling him what was appropriate and all the different situations. Why people do what they do and what they do. It'd be real troublesome if someone had to do that for Sai with something like this."

"And we don't know if he does like her that way or not because he hasn't expressed anything either way."

"That's what has me concerned," said Shikamaru. "I'm worried it's either too difficult for him or he's unable."

"Well, he can't be unable," reasoned Choji. "He was told he had no emotions at all and that turned out to be false, right? Sai knows he has feelings now and, despite what we all went through while he sorted them out and connected to them, he is able to express them."

"Yeah, but for something like this…" He sighed again. "Love is a complicated emotion. It causes you to feel many things at once. It's a confusing emotion and it can make you do some crazy things. You can act completely out of character. Even if Sai is feeling that emotion, I'm worried he won't be able to handle it."

"It's not like we can coach him," said Choji.

"I know." He looked at Ino swimming in the water with her friends. "But I'm worried for Ino."

Choji took a bite out of his sandwich. "Oh? Because of the Sai thing?"

"Yeah. If Sai is unable to express himself either way, what does that mean for Ino? What if Sai likes her and doesn't realize? Ino might give up on him before he's able to realize his feelings."

"Ino doesn't give up on love that easily," said Choji. "She's been pursuing Sai for years. She won't quit."

"Not until someone else comes along and snatches her away. Someone who can express their love." Shikamaru rested his chin against his knee. "I don't want either of them getting hurt if it can be avoided."

Choji looked over his shoulder at Sai who was still surrounded by girls. The gears in his head started to turn.

"We know Ino enjoyed the date. Why don't we ask Sai how he felt about it?"

Shikamaru turned his head. "Huh? We can't do that."

"Why not? It's the easiest way to find out what he thought of the date." Choji started to stand up.

Shikamaru reached out a hand to stop him. "Wait, Choji, we can't just-"

"You may be a genius, Shikamaru, but sometimes you overthink things. Sometimes the best way to get your answer is through a simple solution."

Choji walked over to the group, waving his free hand in the air. "Sai! I got a question for you."

Shikamaru got up and stumbled into the sun in one last attempt to stop Choji.

Sai and Choji walked towards each other until they met in the middle and the girls hurried off. Shikamaru squinted in the sunlight, missing the shade of his umbrella already.

He hoped Choji didn't say the wrong thing. He didn't know why he had abandoned the effort to stop him after attempting to do so twice. Maybe he wanted to know the answer as well. There was a chance that being forward and simply asking Sai up front about his feelings was a good solution to their issue.

"I heard you and Ino went on a date a couple weeks ago," said Choji. "She said she had a nice time. She couldn't stop smiling, she was so happy."

"Really?" asked Sai. Then he smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Choji was telling the truth. Ino was thrilled about their date and the next day she was all smiles when they saw her.

"Did you have a nice time, too?"

"I did," said Sai. "I did have a nice time."

"That's good to hear," said Choji. "So you liked hanging out with her?"

"Yes, I did." Sai grinned. "That's why I asked her out again."

Shikamaru and Choji didn't know about a second date.

"Really?" Choji said in surprise. "I didn't know about that."

"So," said Shikamaru, "you asked her out?"

"Yes, I did. We had a nice time. She's very kind."

"Oh?"

Sai nodded. "Yes. I didn't know she was, considering how her temper comes close to Sakura's but isn't nearly as violent. Sakura's hit me much more often than Ino has."

Shikamaru and Choji exchanged looks.

"I'm glad I took the time to get to know her better," Sai went on. "She was nice to me the first time we met, too. I think I can appreciate it more now."

"What's that mean?" asked Choji.

Sai shrugged. "I'm not sure. But when she saved me on that mission a little while ago, I felt her kindness. It was more than simply seeing it. I was feeling it. It was a different kind of experience. It was like we were seeing parts of our real selves, in a way. No masks, just us." Sai smiled. "In a word, I would have to say it was pretty intimate."

Choji and Shikamaru's cheek flushed red for a moment.

They both knew that Sai was referring to Ino's jutsu, but the way he phrased it lend to some pretty impure thoughts for an instant.

"Knowing that, I was willing to repay her for her help. She wanted to go out on a date and I accepted. I had a nice time with her so I invited her out again. She seemed very pleased by the idea and the second date went pretty well, too."

"I still had no idea you went out on a second date."

"No one asked. It never really came up in conversation, so I didn't see the point in bringing it up."

"But the point is you had a nice time," said Choji.

"Yes. I enjoyed spending time with her."

"Ah," said Choji, "then that must mean you like her, huh?"

Sai nodded his head. "Yes, I like her. I'm glad we've gotten closer."

At no point did Sai use the word 'love' but admitting that he liked her was a good step forward. He enjoyed spending time with her and seemed to think highly of her in some ways.

Just like everything else, it was a process. Shikamaru didn't want to go overboard by delving into details or questioning Sai's feelings on the matter.

The fact that he had a good time, thought Ino was a kind person and willingly asked her out on a second date was enough. Shikamaru could accept this.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Without looking up, Sai addressed Sakura at the door. "I know you're there."

Sakura walked inside with Naruto in tow. She had been spying on Sai for the past few minutes. She was glad he knew she was there and pointed it out because she was getting pretty sick of watching him pretend to read. She knew he was pretending because he hadn't turned the page for the past half-hour and knew he wasn't that slow of a reader.

In actuality, Sai was just lost in thought. He had intended to read but recent memories of Ino kept popping into his mind, like the day they spent at the beach.

"Go talk to Ino." Sakura pointed out the door.

"She's with the young lord. It would be rude to interrupt."

"No, it won't. Go talk to her."

"The guards will stop me before I can get in the room."

"Tell them it's important."

"But it isn't."

Sakura grit her teeth. "How could you say that so calmly?"

"Because there isn't a fire and we're not under attack. Therefore, it's not an emergency and not important enough for me to bother them."

"Not important enough? We're talking about feel-"

"Sakura, can I talk to you for a second?" Naruto interrupted.

"Not now, Naruto."

"Yes, now." He pulled Sakura into the hall by her arm. She fussed but didn't punch him, seeming to understand that this was just as important. "Sakura, I really think we should let Sai handle this on his own."

"But he's not doing anything," she complained. "He's ignoring it all. I bet you anything that Ino's waiting for Sai to do something to let her know he cares about her. If he doesn't, there's nothing stopping her from going with a guy who is openly affectionate to her. I know what Ino's like. He's wasting time while the two of them are getting closer."

Ino could be sweet and loyal, but she thrived on attention. She simply couldn't resist any man who was willing to show her affection, just as Sakura stated. She loved it. She loved turning heads. It boosted her pride when she saw men show interest in her, even if she was already on a date with someone else. As a matter of fact, whether she was in a relationship or not, she couldn't help but ogle any good-looking guy who happened to pass by.

She even rushed towards Sasuke during the war and her teammates had to stop her from getting too close. She still had a thing for him while liking Sai at the same time. This was just how she was.

This would ultimately lead to confusion for poor Sai because he would most likely assume she was no longer interested in him if she showed interest in another guy. Other men would probably feel the same way after seeing a girl rush towards someone else, but for others this would spark a bit of jealousy and lead to competition. They would work even harder to impress the woman they loved and would not give up so easily. However, Sakura didn't peg Sai for that type. He was a bit more mellow in that department. He would probably just let her do as she wished…

… just like now.

It was infuriating. True, some aspects of Ino's personality were difficult to deal with and very annoying, but Sai was just as irritating. Ino was not making this easy for Sai and Sai gave up way too easily. Sakura had to do something about this.

In a perfect world, she knew exactly what had to happen. She had it all planned out. However, she doubted Sai would understand or do as she wished, knowing how he could be. Why did Sai have to be so difficult? Why did Sai have to be… well, Sai?

"We have to paint a picture for him and spell it out otherwise he's not going to get it," Sakura told Naruto.

"He will, but he has to do it on his own," said Naruto.

"Nothing will happen if we don't give him a little push."

"Sai's done things without us having to tell him what to do. After all, he's the one who took the initiative and asked Ino out. We didn't tell him to do that. He came up with it on his own."

"But he just asked to repay her and she requested a date," Sakura corrected.

"Even so, no one held his hand through it. He's the one who approached her of his own free will. And he asked her on a second date all by himself."

"I guess…"

"Our little Sai is growing up," Naruto teased to lighten the mood.

Sakura growled but couldn't help the smile creeping onto her face.

The idea of Ino and the young lord getting closer wiped the smile from her face. "Sai still should tell her how he feels."

"But he's not sure what he feels and we shouldn't help him."

Sakura stared at Naruto in disbelief. "How could you say that? He needs a kick in the pants. You're the one always telling him to read the situation. Now you're saying we should just leave him alone and let him do what he wants? That's stupid! He'll never-"

"We can't tell him how he feels. Only he can know that."

"But he said he doesn't. So we should-"

Naruto shook his head and gave her a firm look. "Then those wouldn't be his feelings."

Sakura gave him a puzzled look. "Huh?"

"It's important that Sai's the one to discover his own feelings. We can't tell him how he feels. Not for this. It's the difference between him knowing how he feels and thinking that's how he should feel."

They would be influencing his emotions which Naruto didn't want to do. It would be no different from toying with his feelings as far as Naruto was concerned.

"In the beginning, Sai was pretty good at mimicking genuine human emotion. Even if we were able to see through it, the fact is he tried to mimic facial expressions and act a certain way in order to fit in because that's how he thought… That's what he thought he should do," explained Naruto. "If we get something in his head, he might try convincing himself that that's what he's feeling when he's really not. That's why it's important that we let him make up his own mind and realize it for himself. If those are really Sai's feelings, he'll know. He'll figure it out. He has to do it for himself."

What Naruto said made a lot of sense. Sakura was impressed. She was amazed Naruto could see that. She felt sheepish for not considering such a thing herself. Naruto had become wiser.

"You're right," she said softly. "We can't tell him how he feels."

It was just so hard to watch it take place before her eyes and have it not go the way she thought it should.

It was awkward when it didn't have to be. Then again, romances rarely went as smoothly as they did in her head.

Honestly, it was impressive to see Sai take a girl on a date in the first place. She never thought it would happen.

She sighed. "Why can't he just be blunt like he usually is and tell her?"

"Because he doesn't know yet. Whatever he's feeling hasn't reached that part of his brain yet."

"This is so frustrating."

Naruto shrugged. "What romance is perfect?" His cheeks started to turn pink. "And the longer it takes you to realize, the harder it hits you. It did for me."

Sakura should have known. How could she be so hard on Sai when Naruto himself hadn't known for so long how Hinata felt about him? It must have been a guy thing.

Now that Naruto and Hinata had gotten together and were in a good relationship, Sakura felt reassured that if Sai and Ino were meant to be together, they would have a good relationship, too. If it was meant to be, it would happen. She couldn't force it.

"I still want to tell him…"

"I know you do, but we can't. They have to do this. It's their relationship, not ours."

It was going to be hard to keep her mouth shut considering how much she wanted to smack Sai and tell him what was going on, but she knew Naruto was right. It was going to be frustrating, and she was going to get pissed more than once, but she could keep her mouth shut. She had to.

Sakura and Naruto went back into the room and Sai was right where they left him.

Maybe she could subtly hint something to him? She probably shouldn't. It was so tempting, though.

Sai kept his eyes on his book.

"Are you just going to read all day?" she asked, fighting to keep her emotions in check.

"Yup." Sai turned the page.

"There's nothing else you want to do?"

Naruto gave her a warning look but she didn't notice.

Sai kept his eyes on the page. "I can't think of anything else I would do given the situation."

"Given the situation, you should-"

"Sakura," Naruto said through his teeth.

* * *

All this attention was very flattering. Ino felt just like a princess.

The young lord was very polite and kind and gave her his undivided attention. Whatever she wanted, she was given. Life in his manor was very comfortable and convenient. Fumihiro was so handsome when he smiled. He looked like he wanted to please her and was happy if she was happy.

She was so spoiled and wrapped up in the attention that she hardly thought of the bigger issue of leaving the Leaf Village behind to remain here with him. More than once, she forgot that the others were still in the same building as her. Fumihiro made sure she felt like they were the only two in existence. It wasn't malicious. He intended to be sweet but his well-intended actions kept distracting Ino when she should have been giving the situation serious thought rather than basking in her good fortune.

Taking a break from looking at his many treasures, Ino and Fumihiro sat together on a satin couch along the wall and talked. At first, Fumihiro remained a respectable distance from her but as their conversation went on, he gradually moved closer.

He asked Ino many questions about herself and she talked and talked. After a while, she returned the questions to him. He wasn't as chatty as she was, keeping his answers short and precise. His strict upbringing was very apparent.

"You know this isn't a meeting or anything," she told him. "Just relax. Say as much as you want."

He chuckled nervously. "I rarely get the opportunity to do that. Speaking to a pretty girl alone is challenging. Now I'm alone in a room with one. What on Earth do I say?"

Ino's cheeks turned pink at being called pretty and touched his hand to assure him. "Just say whatever you want."

He averted his eyes, nervous. He didn't want to drive her off my saying the wrong thing.

When he acted like this, he reminded Ino of Sai.

She looked away, wondering about him. What was he doing right now? What would they be doing if they were together at this very moment?

"I'm amazed," said Fumihiro, "that you could be so strong in battle and still retain your femininity."

All Ino heard was how she was strong and beautiful and it made her blush.

"I don't have many women over. Dating, forget it. It's a rare opportunity for me to even speak to a woman. I've wanted to, but…" He shrugged halfheartedly. "Well, I'm sure you know."

Someone of his stature and age probably didn't get out much. He probably fanaticized about dating and what he would do if he ever met a girl. She wondered if things were going as smoothly as he imagined.

Ino understood how he must have felt. She spent most of her childhood dreaming of the prefect date, but they only took place in her head. She waited for a good-looking guy to ask her out by no one ever did. In an effort to console herself and find a logical explanation for this, Ino told herself that the only reason they didn't ask her out was because boys were intimidated by beauty and were too afraid. If this happened too often, she would assume she wasn't pretty enough and put extra effort into her looks with makeup and dieting.

What could Fumihiro do? She had the freedom to move around as she wished and traveled for missions. He was practically trapped in his expensive home. The only time he even saw a woman aside from his servants was if one was brought before him. It was no wonder he latched on to Ino so quickly.

Ino was still pleased that he chose her. It obviously meant that she was the prettiest. If he had been that starved, he might have gone for Sakura. He showed her very little interest which was a boost for Ino's ego.

"Most of my visitors are lords from other lands or within the area," Fumihiro went on. "They're all men and they're all older than me. I have a nice time with them but it's good to have female company. And you are very good company. You're so charming."

"You're not bad yourself," she told him.

Fumihiro kept his eyes down as he blushed.

"So, um… Tell me more about your ninja adventures. They sound interesting."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Sai could not focus no matter how hard he tried. Sakura and Naruto were still in the room doing separate activities but he didn't notice what they were. He was relieved Sakura had stopped badgering him but he still felt a twinge of unease.

He had to do something. He couldn't sit in one spot anymore.

Sai closed his book, set it down and left the room.

Sakura's eyes lit up and she rushed to the door to see what Sai was doing. She hoped this was the moment she was waiting for. Perhaps Sai was off to confess his feelings.

He walked up and down several corridors aimlessly.

What was he doing? What should he be doing?

He felt so restless.

He finally decided to check on Ino to see how she was doing. They weren't in the library anymore which meant he had to search.

Sai saw a servant bringing a tray of food into a room and decided to follow him. He hid in the ceiling and, with absolute stealth, he crept over the servant's head as they delivered a snack to Fumihiro and Ino in a small, private room.

"It's so beautiful," Ino remarked. It was a simple fruit cup but the way each fruit was sliced into different shapes and arranged by color made it very pleasing to the eye. Even Sai had to admit it was beautiful, like a work of art.

"Enjoy," Fuihiro told her. "Only the freshest fruit for the best flavor."

"Mm. Sweet but healthy. I don't have to worry about my waistline with his kind of treat."

"You don't have to worry at all. If you get any thinner, I won't have anything to look at. You're beautiful as you are."

Without realizing it, Sai's fists were clenching.

He watched them eat together having a nice time, just the two of them.

Ino looked so happy.

Normally he liked seeing her smile but for some reason he didn't enjoy watching her smile while she was alone with Fumihiro.

Ino and Fumihiro tapped their heart-shaped strawberries together before eating them. They giggled and blushed.

Sai's eyes narrowed. It wasn't that long ago when Ino was chopping food into cutesy shapes for his bento lunches. He remembered them vividly. How she insisted on making him a lunch and making it cute. He couldn't understand the point of making omelets into teddy bears considering how he was just going to end up cutting it up and stuffing it in his mouth. He considered it a waste of time, and yet he appreciated it.

Because she did it for him.

These fruit cups were nothing special. They didn't come from the heart, no matter what shape the strawberries took. Fumihiro didn't make it for her, his servants did. She certainly didn't make it for him. Knowing this assured Sai that no matter how things looked on the surface, the same wasn't taking place inside. To him, these were empty gestures.

Still, he couldn't stop himself from watching.

He listened to them chat and watched the fruit slowly disappear.

He saw Fumihiro leave his hand on the table. When he acted nervous, Ino placed her hand on top of his to ease his stress.

Meanwhile, Sai's chest was starting to feel hot. His brow, too. Why was it so hot up here? He had to get out of the ceiling and get some fresh air. He had to cool down.

He paced the hall, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

What was that? Why did it suddenly get so hot? He could barely see straight. He was glad he was able to get away without being noticed.

He leaned against the wall, thinking about that fruit cup and how it made them smile.

Those fruit cups the servants prepared were nothing compared to the lunches Ino prepared for him. They were pleasing to the eye and delicious.

He hadn't been given one for a while, now that he thought of it. He kind of missed it.

The significance was not lost, however. He still carried it with him along with his memories.

* * *

Short chapter, sorry. The next one will be longer, so don't worry.

Please review! ^-^


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Ino had enjoyed their last couple of dates and was eager for more. It was pure coincidence running into him the other day when he went to get lunch and invited herself along. Sai didn't protest so that must have meant he was ok with it.

There had to be something more romantic they could do together.

"I know," Ino said to herself. "I'll make him lunch. Anyone can take you out to a fancy place for food, but love will blossom with the food you lovingly make yourself. They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I'll make him a bento lunch we can share together. That will be romantic. We haven't done that yet and this is my chance to show off my cooking stills. Time for me to show him what I can do."

Ino crafted their romantic lunch with more care than any meal she had made before. She used only the best ingredients and put her best effort into preparing them all. She made sure it looked cute by cutting the carrots into little heart shapes and the sandwiches into triangles. She even fashioned a plump little bear out of the rice omelet. Everything looked adorable and she knew everything tasted great.

It was time to show her work to Sai.

* * *

"Are you taking Ino out on any other dates?" Naruto asked Sai as they walked down the street.

"I don't know. I hadn't thought about it."

"Why not? Bored?"

"No. Just busy, I guess. Besides, she hasn't asked me out on any other dates, either."

"It's usually the guys who ask the girls."

Sai thought about his situation. "For me, it was Ino who asked me out. The first time."

"How about ramen?" asked Naruto. "You can take her out for a nice lunch at Ichiraku."

"But ramen is so simple for a date, don't you think? It's casual. We have it with friends all the time," said Sai. "I think Ino likes fancier stuff, like sushi or French cuisine. Girls like fancy things for dates, don't they?"

"Probably. But you're missing the beauty of it, Sai. The fact that it's casual means that you can express yourselves in a laidback situation. You can be yourselves more and bond."

"Bond, huh?"

Naruto nodded up and down. "If you can have a casual meal with somebody, you know you've connected on some level. Bonding over ramen means it's built to last."

"You don't say…"

"Trust me on this, Sai. If you can have a casual meal with somebody, it means you're connecting. You've already got the fancy stuff down. All you need now is something casual and you're all set. It means you can pretty much do anything and be in any situation with them. It's great."

Sai thought back to the meals he's shared with friends. "But Ino and I have already done casual dining."

"Yeah, as friends. And there were a bunch of other people around. Doing casual as a date is different."

"Is it really?"

"It might not feel different, but that's how you know you've connected. It won't feel awkward doing something casual. Plus, that takes the pressure off of doing something fancy."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," said Sai. "And it would be easier on my wallet."

"That's right. But don't tell her that."

"Why not? Wouldn't the girl like to know how much you're saving? I thought girls liked bargains. Ino and Sakura rush off to the store whenever they hear that word."

"Yeah…" Naruto said hesitantly. "But that's when they're the ones paying for it. Girls like it when guys do things for them and aren't being cheap. Makes them feel good. Important."

"How many fancy dates have you and Hinata been on together?"

"So far? Um…" Naruto thought about it a moment. "I'd say… At least two. Maybe four. Five? No, four."

Sai knew Naruto had been on more dates than that with Hinata. Already knowing what his answer might be, Sai asked anyway, "How many ramen dates have you been on?"

Naruto started counting on his fingers. "Um… Give me a minute." He took his time, trying to calculate in his head. "Um… Well, I'm not sure the exact number, but I'd say close to twenty or so."

"Twenty?"

"Maybe. It's hard to tell. Sometimes we stay there a while and order more ramen so it's hard to keep track. Last time we had five bowls before leaving."

"But definitely more ramen dates than fancy dates."

"Yeah."

"Hm." Sai had eaten ramen with Ino before but Naruto and Sakura were there as well, and that was before they did any dating. Would Ino think it was cheap of him to bring her on a ramen date? She seemed to enjoy herself before. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. He would keep it in mind if he ever wanted to take her out again.

"You could also cook for her. Hinata makes stuff for me all the time. She's really good."

"I thought girls were the ones who did the cooking for the guys. As you said, Hinata cooks for you."

"But I bet it would impress Ino if you cooked for her sometime."

Sai thought a moment. "I did read somewhere that girls liked guys who could cook for them."

"There you go."

"But I can't cook," Sai confessed.

"At all?"

"Well, not very well, all things considered."

"What's that mean?"

Sai tried to explain as they walked down the busy shopping district of the Leaf Village. Thankfully, they passed several restaurants so Sai was able to gather plenty of examples for things he had no clue how to make.

"I can make very basic stuff. Like sandwiches. Anyone can do that. I know how to grill fish because of my training. You know, foraging in the wilderness while on missions. That sort of thing. But cooking actual dishes… I have no idea."

Naruto gave him a quick pat on the back. "That's fine. I can't cook either. I can make instant ramen and that's about it. But it's nice to have a girl cook for you. Not only is it a free meal you didn't have to make yourself, but it's the girl's way of letting you know she cares about you."

"Oh?" Sai looked at him.

"Yeah. It's how girls express their feelings. They don't cook for people they don't like, after all. They took time to think of you and prepare a meal. It's pretty obvious."

"Then why didn't you realize Hinata liked you when she cooked things for you?"

Naruto frowned. "Can we not bring that up?"

"I'm just saying, she did cook for you a couple of times and Sakura never did that for either of us. Not that I would want her to. Her healthy food nearly killed me."

"Since you went and brought it up," Naruto said bitterly, "Hinata only cooked for me a couple of times in the past, and she also cooked for her teammates. Plus, she told me recently that she had cooked tons of stuff for me but was too nervous to give it to me, so how the hell was I supposed to know when I never saw it?"

Sai chuckled. "It's alright. I was just teasing."

"Yeah, you're good at that."

"Really?" Sai seemed surprised. He scanned Naruto's statement for sarcasm but couldn't detect any.

"Yeah. You seem to like teasing me. And Sakura."

"I read that it was a playful act one does around close friends. I'm pleased you think I'm good at it."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, but sometimes it's annoying."

"Oh. Sorry."

"It's fine." Naruto thought of the possibility of Sai teasing Ino in an attempt to be playful and quickly added, "But word of advice: you might want to wait a while before teasing Ino. She might think you're trying to be mean to her."

"How long should I wait?"

"Long enough for her to get to know you better… And get a good running start first," Naruto added under his breath.

"Sai!" Ino came running up to him from a side street. "Hi, Sai!"

"Hi, Ino," he said with a smile.

Ino gleefully held up her carefully prepared bento. "I made us a lunch we can share if you're hungry," she sang.

Ino made him a lunch. After the conversation he just had with Naruto, Sai knew what this signified. He had thought about inviting Ino to lunch at Ichiraku's as Naruto suggested, but he knew turning down her lunch offer would be rude, especially after she put so much work into it. He didn't want to make her angry. He was also considering having lunch with Naruto but as soon as Ino offered him an alternative, Naruto chose to make himself scarce and zipped down another street before Sai could use him as an excuse.

"Alright," Sai told her, still smiling. "Let's eat together."

They walked to the park and Ino selected a wooden bench in the shade they could use. She laid everything out on the table, showing off everything she made. Sai sat next to her, looking at all the fruit, sandwiches, fish and rice. She clearly went to a lot of work for him.

Knowing that was pretty flattering. No one ever went to this much trouble for him. Naruto and Sakura were his friends and teammates but neither of them ever made him a lunch before. They were kind to him and there for him when it mattered, so it wasn't that they didn't care. He knew they cared about him.

If he was going to compare them, it was worth noting that Ino had been there for him when it mattered as well. She had been kind to him from the beginning.

Ino's treatment was different than theirs. He could trust both his teammates and Ino.

And yet…

What were his feelings towards her?

He felt close to her. Certainly, closer than they had been before. He considered her a good friend. A close friend. He liked spending time with her. She did make him smile and he didn't have to force it. The smile came naturally.

So his feelings were..?

What, exactly?

"Here you go," Ino told him, holding up the sandwiches. "Eat all you like."

Sai took a sandwich. "Thanks."

Ino watched him eat, studying his face. He wasn't spitting it out, but he wasn't saying anything either. "Well? Do you like it?"

It was a simple sandwich. There wasn't much she could screw up with it, but there wasn't much she could do to make it phenomenal either in his opinion.

"It's good."

"Really? I'm glad." Ino was blushing with what he assumed to be pride.

She was too nervous to eat at the moment so she just watched him politely eat the sandwich, looking at the scenery as he chewed. She glanced away every time he looked in her direction.

She wanted to do something more romantic. More lovey-dovey.

There was something she always wanted to do. It was worth a try.

Once Sai finished the sandwich, he looked around the table to see what else there was to munch on. Before he could reach for anything, Ino scooped up the rice omelet and tried to feed him some from the chopsticks she held.

"Here you go. Say 'ahh'," she told him, blushing.

He could easily feed himself. Why was she doing this? It would have made sense if his arm had been broken and needed help, like when Naruto broke his, but that wasn't the case. He didn't need help eating.

Then again, there were cases when people liked to be fed anyway, regardless of being crippled or not, finding it fun. Was it really fun being fed like this? There was only one way to find out. Besides, he wasn't sure what to do and didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Sai opened his mouth, complying.

Ino happily stuffed bits of omelet into his mouth.

"Well?" she asked him.

"Tasty," he told her, his cheeks stuff with egg and rice.

She started giggling. Not just from joy but from how cute Sai looked with his cheeks packed with her food. He looked like a chipmunk.

Seeing her laugh was infectious and Sai started laughing as well.

She fed him for a while, then Sai got the bright idea to return the favor. He wasn't sure of the social norm for this situation, but Sai thought it was only fair to do the same thing back to her. He also had to admit to a slight curiosity. He wanted to know why people did this sort of thing and if it really was as fun as Ino made it look.

Sai picked up another pair of chopsticks and tried to feed her some rice. Unused to feeding someone other than himself rice from this angle, he ending up dropping part of it onto her lap. He stared down at her legs, then leaned away timidly and apologized.

"It's ok," she told him.

Sai didn't seem willing to try again, but Ino liked the idea of him wanting to feed her, so she came up with a solution. She held the bento under her chin so if he dropped anything, it wouldn't land on her but in the bento.

"Ahh," she said, opening her mouth.

Sai's second attempt went a lot better. Ino happily chewed her rice, beaming.

Her face looked pretty funny, smiling with her lips tightly pressed together and chewing food at the same time. Sai couldn't help smiling, amused.

They fed each other fruit next and then Sai tried feeding her one of the sandwiches. All these attempts were successful.

Full and content, the two sat together for some time, smiling at one another.

"Thanks for the meal," said Sai. "It was really good."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"No one's ever made me a lunch before."

Ino raised her brow. "Not even Sakura?" She was a bit surprised. Then again, she rarely made food for her own teammates. She only did so when she either needed to or wanted to practice some new recipes and didn't care if she fed them disasters or successes. Besides, Choji gave her pretty good feedback when it came to her cooking skills.

Sai shook his head. "Sakura's only made food pills but they tasted terrible. They made me sick once. She tried putting too many things in it, I think. It tasted so bad I nearly threw up. Made my head spin."

Though food pills were different from actual food, Ino declared it a win in her column. It seemed she had succeeded at something Sakura failed at. Since there was no one around to refute that, she counted it as truth. Since she didn't want Sai to say anything hinting otherwise, she didn't ask for further details.

"I'd be happy to make you more lunches if you like," she told him before he could say anything else related to the other topic. She just wanted to bask in the glory of being better than Sakura at something. Food pills or an actual meal didn't matter to her. She wanted to count this as a win.

Sai smiled. "I'd like that," he told her. "Thanks, Beautiful."

Ino blushed. "You're welcome." She started fidgeting in the way she always did when she was happy and nervous at the same time. "I had fun eating with you."

"So did I. It was fun."

She blushed even harder. Could Sai be any cuter?

While she fidgeted and fantasized, Sai thought about the meal they shared and believed it was pretty fun. Even feeding each other was fun. Being fed and being the feeder. He still preferred to feed himself, but now he had a better understanding of why people liked to do that for each other.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Sai went to the kitchen alone. Finding it empty, he assumed the staff was taking a break and let himself in. The first thing he did was look for cookbooks. He pulled out a thick one and opened it, sitting on the stone platform in front of the wood burning oven. Though it wasn't currently in use, the heat it gave off from its previous job warmed Sai's back and shoulders as he flipped through the pages in the cookbook.

Curious, Sakura entered the kitchen a minute after he did and walked over. She had been following him at a distance for the past few minutes but having no idea what business Sai could have in the kitchen of Fumihiro's manor, she followed him inside, no longer hiding.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Reading."

"Reading what?"

Sai held up the book, showing her the cover while he continued to read the pages staring him in the face. After showing her, he put the thick book back on his lap.

"Why are you reading that?"

"I was curious."

Sakura was suspicious. "Oh? About learning to cook?"

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to learn a couple basic things. It might come in handy on missions or something."

Sai was being honest but there was another reason why he wanted to try his hand at cooking.

Sakura already suspected he was trying to cook something in order to impress Ino, but she didn't want to scare him off by informing him that she already knew what he was up to so she kept her comments to herself.

"I could help you if you want. I know a few things about cooking."

"Thanks, but no," Sai told her. "I think I'd rather do this on my own."

Sakura backed up, leaving him alone. "Ok. I'll leave you to it."

She thought it was kind of cute of Sai to consider doing this for Ino, but it also had her concerned. Not only for Sai's lack of experience, but the fact that he was going to new lengths for her which he had never done before.

Normally it wouldn't bother her but knowing that Sai was a bit different from the rest of them in certain ways, Sakura was a bit worried what Sai's irrationality would be like. People who were in love tended to be a bit irrational but there were different levels and versions. Either Sai's wouldn't be that bad or they would be off the wall.

With that thought in her head, Sakura was nervous about leaving him alone in the kitchen.

Sai flipped through numerous pages before settling on something. It was a dish he knew Ino would like and it seemed simple enough to make.

"All I have to do is follow the instructions and I can prepare it easily. It's very straightforward."

Sai snooped around the kitchen until he found all the ingredients he needed and started his cooking preparations. He washed all the vegetables and started slicing them the way the book instructed.

At first, he started cutting them using the knife as a kunai and quickly corrected himself. The fact that he instinctively used a kitchen knife in such a way exposed how much Sai was out of his element.

Nevertheless, he gave it his best shot.

He consulted the book to see what else he had to do.

"Ok, I have to prepare some dough and heat up some oil so I can make the tempura."

He poured oil into a pot and placed it on the stove. When he gave the book another glance, he realized that it never said what temperature the heat had to be on the stove. Thinking that the oil had to be hot in order to deep fry something, he turned the heat up to high and waited for the oil to boil. If it boiled, that must have meant it was ready, just like boiling water for noodles.

While that heated up, he started to make the dough for homemade pork buns. He did as the book said, combining two different types of flour in a bowl and slowly adding the water.

Since this was Sai's first time making dough, he didn't realize that when the book said to add the water slowly in meant that he needed to add a little at a time and mix the flour before adding another small amount. Instead, he just poured the water slowly, putting it all in the bowl with the flour at once. Then he mixed it together by hand as the book told him to do.

The result was a sticky mess. It formed a lump of dough but it was stick and moist. Hoping it would firm up a little, Sai covered it with a damp cloth like the book said to do and let it set while he made the filling.

That part was easy. He cooked the pork on the stove until it changed the appropriate color, seasoned it and added the vegetables. While he mixed it all together, he looked over at the pot to see if the oil was boiling yet. It wasn't, so he left it alone.

He brought the filling over to the table and scooped it all into a bowl where he set it aside to cool. Meanwhile, he checked on his dough. He needed to divide it into equal portions. He did so and checked to see if the filling had cooled enough for him to handle. He gave it another minute to cool down, checking on the bamboo basket he was going to use to steam the pork buns. It was all set so all he had to do now was make the buns and steam them.

As soon as he started, he realized something had gone wrong.

He flattened the dough in his palm, scooped some filling into the middle…

But when he tried to close it, the dough wouldn't come off his hand. He had to peel it off his skin which caused it to rip. He tried peeling it back slowly, but the dough refused to let go of his skin. The filling oozed through the hole.

Refusing to give up, Sai tried to roll the bun in his hand like a snowball, thinking he could form it that way. It sort of worked, but much of the filling ended up on the outside of the bun.

He tried again with the other buns, but they, too, stuck to his hands and would fall apart as soon as he tried to let go of them.

He kept trying but out of the twelve the recipe was supposed to make, only four ended up in the bamboo basket and were steamed. The rest ended up on him, the floor and the table.

Sai looked at his hands, moving his fingers slowly, feeling the moist dough sticking to them. He couldn't simply wipe off his hands. He tried several times but the dough liked to cling. Pieces of meat and vegetables were embedded in the dough as well, making it even more uncomfortable. Thankfully it all washed off in the sink. The only problem was the white clump it left near the drain.

He would deal with that later. He had to make the tempura.

The batter was much easier to make. Everything dipped and ready for the fryer.

When he looked at the pot of oil, it still wasn't boiling.

How could this be? It had been on the stove for almost an hour. It had to be hot enough by now.

Unable to wait any longer, Sai dropped the first piece of tempura into the pot which resulted in a loud hiss and a large cloud of smoke.

Sai backed away from the pot, watching as the cloud of smoke grew bigger.

This wasn't supposed to happen, was it? Of course, there would be steam when dealing with hot things but Sai was able to tell the difference between smoke and steam and this wasn't steam. He also knew that smoke wasn't a good thing.

It wasn't dying down either. The smoke kept building.

Understanding that it wouldn't stop, Sai covered the pot with the lid and turned off the heat. He knew enough to do that. From there, he carried the pot to the sink and set it down.

The kitchen was filling with smoke. He quickly opened as many windows as he could find and tried to air out the room.

Afterwards, he went to check on the only piece of tempura to make it into the pot. He cautiously took the lid off and fished out a black piece of shrimp.

Sai put the lid back on the pot and set the lone shrimp on a plate.

It wasn't even in the oil for very long. Less than a minute and it had already turned black and crunchy. There was no way he could serve this.

When he looked to see what had become of the others, he found them scattered across the floor. He had rushed to deal with the smoking pot and inadvertently tossed the battered vegetables and shrimp to the floor. Either he dropped them or he knocked them over after setting them on the edge of the table. It all happened so fast it was anyone's guess. One thing was for certain: there was no way he was using any of it now.

Sai looked at the sizzling pot in the sink, the possibly clogged drain, the messy floor and table and then at himself. His dark clothes were now white from the flour and bits of food were sticking to him.

His shoulders slumped and he sat down on the stone floor in defeat.

His first real attempt at cooking a delectable meal was a disaster. He really thought he had it, too.

The book made it all seem so easy. All he had to do was follow the instructions. He did and he still screwed it up.

"Just like with a lot of things I read," Sai said to himself. "It all seems so simple until you try to apply it to the real world."

Trying to be social seemed so easy in books but when he tried his hand at it with actual people, he screwed up. When he tried doing what the cookbook instructed him to do, he ended up screwing that up, too. Once again, he messed up everything despite his best efforts and good intentions.

It was his first attempt. Perhaps in time he would improve his skills. It took some time but he was finally able to be social with people. The same was true for cooking if he didn't give up on it.

Though he knew this was the truth and what he should be telling himself, he was too upset to do so. He just sat there wallowing in defeat.

"Why am I even doing this?" he asked himself. "I've never attempted cooking before. I've never had any interest. What changed? I don't really enjoy it. Of course, who would, all things considered?"

He looked around at the mess he made. In time, maybe he would clean it, but not now. He had no gumption to do it.

He sighed heavily. "What's going on with me? What possessed me to try something like this all of a sudden?"

He hadn't been feeling like himself lately. The actions he was taking recently were that of a stranger. He didn't know why he was doing any of it. Nothing he did made any sense to him.

Lately he had been feeling so many things at once it ultimately left him feeling numb. It was as if he were being pulled in so many different directions at once he couldn't move. He had never felt this way before. He didn't know what to do.

When he did take action, he didn't understand why he took that particular action when there were so many other options. Considering his personality, many of his actions of late had been outlandish. He had never done these things before. When he didn't take action, he felt restless.

It was like his body was in autopilot. After he took that action, he was left wonder why he did that and reprimanded himself for doing something so foolish and downright strange. It was as if he were trying to make trouble for himself.

But why? Why would anybody do this to themselves?

No one would if they were conscious of their actions. If Sai could make sense of what was going on and realize what he was about to do before he did it, he would reprimand himself for the attempt and try to talk some sense into himself. He would ask himself why he was acting this way. What he thought he was doing and what he thought would come from his actions.

"Why am I doing this?"

His mission was clear at the moment. The moment he decided to take this course of action, he only had one thought in mind and that was Ino. Doing this for Ino. Doing this to impress Ino.

But why?

"Why would I go to such lengths for her? What do I have to gain from it? What's the point of all this? Why did I attempt to cook something with the intention of impressing her?"

He consulted himself and found no answers. Then he referred back to the things he read over the years, wondering if the answer was somewhere in what had had been studying. Or even in his observations. There must have been a reason for all this.

There was one possibility. He couldn't quite figure out what it was, but he knew he knew it. It was right on the tip of his tongue. There was an explanation for all this, but…

The more Sai thought about it, the more the answer seemed to slip away.

Maybe he was trying too hard. Maybe the answer would come to him when he wasn't thinking about it.

That was possible. After all, Kakashi was the one who told him years ago that he understood feelings more than he realized and didn't have to study has hard as he thought. He already knew. He already understood.

If he already knew, why was the obvious answer eluding him?

He tried to go over the facts one more time before setting it aside for the time being.

He was acting out of character at times, he was taking actions he normally wouldn't, he was trying to show off which also wasn't like him and he was experiencing all these strange feelings at once. Some he knew but others he had never felt before. It all seemed to revolve around…

"My kitchen!"

Sai looked up. The chef and his staff had returned.

Just when Sai thought he was close to a breakthrough, too.

"What the hell happened in here?"

Sai gave the chef a forced sheepish smile, trying to defuse the situation. "Um… Sorry?"

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Sai tried to look apologetic when the chef reprimanded him for messing up his kitchen and for entering it without permission. He kept his head bowed and avoided eye contact. When Naruto and Sakura found out what he had done, Naruto found it hilarious and Sakura could only shake her head. He found her reaction odd because Sakura would have continued the chef's lecture but she didn't scold him. Perhaps she felt he had been punished enough.

Sakura was afraid something like this would happen. She couldn't bring herself to scold him because she knew this behavior indicated what she had suspected all along. Obviously, Sai's feelings were driving him to act in strange and unusual ways, which were typical of anyone in his situation. She thought it was sweet and kind of cute. Not the behavior itself but what it hinted at.

Naruto couldn't stop laughing when he saw the state Sai was in, calling attention to his dirty clothes and the flour on his face. Sakura punched him in the arm to get him to stop laughing.

"I… better wash up." Sai slinked out of the room.

"Wait, Sai," Naruto called after him. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You just look so funny like that. I bet I'd look hilarious, too, covered in flour."

"You didn't hurt my feelings," Sai told him.

"Then why do you look so sad?"

Sai hadn't realized he was wearing a sad expression. His brushed his fingers against his cheek as if trying to see it with his hand. Sai lowered his hand and gave a halfhearted shrug. "I guess it's because I failed at something I tried so hard to accomplish. I'm disappointed."

"It was your first time," Sakura assured him, smiling gently. "You'll get there if you keep trying. Don't get discouraged."

Sakura only encouraged him like this when it was truly important. She was rarely gentle with him. Most of the time she screamed it at him or threatened him. Now she was talking to him as if he were a child on the verge of tears. It was enough to make him stare at her for a while, questioning her motivation. This was odd for her.

She didn't want him to give up. She wanted to spur him on. This had nothing to do with obedience or battle. This was a matter of the heart. She spoke to Sai in a similar way she did with Hinata. If she couldn't tell him what to do, she could encourage him in other ways.

Sai and Sakura interpreted her statement differently. Sai thought she was talking about cooking in general, but Sakura was referring to Ino. Sai could not give up. He had to keep working at it.

"I'm still going to clean up." Sai walked to the other side of the manor for a much-needed bath.

"What happened to you?"

He looked up and saw Ino standing in front of him, walking the opposite direction.

"Uh… Mishap in the kitchen."

"Are you ok?"

"Mm-hmm." He nodded.

"Good." She smiled. Then she started to giggle.

"What?"

"You just look funny like that. It's kind of cute."

Sai started to giggle with her. "I guess so."

They both shared a laugh and continued on their way. Sai felt a lot better now that he had made Ino smile. She made him feel better by making him laugh as well.

She wasn't with the young lord, either. This also boosted his mood.

* * *

After getting cleaned up and scrubbing the gunk off his clothes, Sai returned to their room and was pleased to see that Ino had joined them. What irked him was her going on and on about the young lord and all the things they had been doing together.

"Fumhiro is really excited about the dinner the servants are making tonight for us."

"Us?" Sakura pressed.

"Us as in all of us. The dinner is a thank you for helping him with the mission. I'm looking forward to it."

Dinner was announced and the group was brought into the dining area to eat. The food was already laid out on the table and it truly was an impressive spread.

Unlike the previous meals, Fumihiro chose to sit beside Ino rather than at the head of the table as usual. Ino took her usual spot on his right while Naruto and Sakura sat on the other side of the table. Rather than sit on Ino's right, Sai boldly squeezed between Fumihiro and Ino, uncaring about how his shoulders pressed against theirs as he sat down.

Ino said nothing but Fumihiro politely informed Sai that there was plenty of room on Ino's other side. Sai took his time in standing and switching positions, all without saying a word. Other than complying with his wishes, Sai didn't acknowledge Fumihiro in the slightest. He didn't even look at him.

The others complimented Fumihiro on the dinner and thanked him for his generosity while Sai ignored them. He looked at the food on the table, scanning each dish with a silent stare. Then Sai grabbed something with his chopsticks and placed it on Ino's plate.

Ino looked down, seeing Sai's hand and spotted a plump cherry tomato. A second one fell on her plate and a third. She looked at Sai and her gaze as enough to stall his movement. "I… I know you like them, so… I…"

She smiled happily at him. "Thanks, Sai." It was so sweet of him to know her favorite foods. He paid attention.

Seeing her smile made him smile.

"You like tofu, right?" she asked him.

"Yes."

She nodded her head towards something on the table. "I think that has tofu in it. Would you like some?"

"Please."

Ino passed him the plate and he took what he wanted.

He was pleased to be getting some attention from her.

Unfortunately, Fumihiro started speaking and Ino turned to face him. Sai paid the food more attention than he did the young lord. He grabbed several items and put them on his plate or directly into his mouth.

He opened a bamboo basket and froze in surprise. It contained the four pork buns he had made for Ino. He had forgotten all about them. He thought everything had been lost. He left them steaming while he tended to the pot of oil. When the chef and his staff returned, they must have placed the finished product elsewhere and it wound up with the dinner items by mistake.

He looked from the buns to Ino. They were cooked. They were lumpy and pieces of filling were on the outside in places, but they were the only thing he managed to complete.

This was his chance to give them to her.

He thought it was a blessing, a sign of some sort. However, he wondered if these unappealing pork buns were good enough to offer Ino. They weren't as fancy as other things she had received that day, but he made these with his own two hands. Was it ok if they weren't perfect?

He felt nervous. And excited. He wanted to show her but he didn't at the same time. He had to make up his mind. He couldn't have it both ways for something like this. Either he gave them to her or he didn't.

Would she turn up her nose at them because they weren't as pretty as the young lord's gifts? What if they didn't taste very good? Maybe he shouldn't try.

Then he remembered why he struggled to make these in the first place. If he passed this up, all his efforts would have been for nothing. He just wanted her to know what he did for her. He wanted to reciprocate. He wanted to impress her.

"I- Ino." What was wrong with his voice? It was so hard to say her name. He never had this problem before. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Ino," he said more clearly.

"Yeah?" She turned around.

"Would you like a pork bun?" He tipped the basket forward to show her the four buns.

She stared at them. "Mmm. No, thanks."

"Oh." Rejected. "Ok." He swiveled around in his seat and placed the basket on the table. "Fine."

What was this feeling? Was… Was he feeling shame? He was disappointed, but it had a touch of something else he wasn't familiar with.

Ino was saying something but it was white noise in his ears. She reached over and picked up the basket. Seeing her do this, Sai watched. She showed Fumihiro the pork buns which he gave a disappointed glance at.

"I'm sure they're alright. Usually the chef has better skills than this. I can send them back to the kitchen. The staff will eat them or dispose of them."

"I'll eat them," offered Naruto, but no one heard him.

Fumihiro debated sampling one for himself. They weren't much to look at but he didn't want to waste them. "I'll have to have a word with the staff about the appearance. Presentation is key. Odd, though. I didn't request for pork buns to be served at dinner."

"I made those," Sai blurted out.

Fumihiro looked at him. "You did?"

Ino remembered seeing Sai covered in flour as they passed each other in the hall. He said something about a mishap in the kitchen. He must have been cooking.

And she rejected his offer.

Ino felt terrible. She wouldn't have liked it if someone refused to eat her cooking. She must have offended Sai. No wonder he went quieter than usual.

"Wait," said Ino. "I want to try one."

Sai's glare went away and he raised his head to stare at her in gleeful surprise. He did not smile but his eyes were twinkling.

Ino took a pork bun out of the basket. "If Sai went to the trouble of making them, I want to try one."

Sai stiffened as she took a bite, studying her face as she had done when he sampled her cooking. She wasn't spitting it out. That was a good sign.

She noticed him staring at her and gave him a tiny grin. It wasn't a forced smile which was a relief for him. "The filling is good. The bun itself is a little tough, but it's good." The bun itself stuck to her teeth but the moist filling helped make up for the unpleasant stickiness.

"I'm… not as good as you are," Sai admitted. "Sorry if it's awful."

"Was this your first time?"

He nodded.

"It's not bad for a first attempt. Don't look so glum."

Sai smiled without having to think about it. Her words made him feel much better. She didn't hate his cooking. He wasn't sure if he would try again, at least not anytime soon.

"Maybe… we could… cook together," Sai offered quietly, the thought just now popping into his head.

Ino nodded. "That could be fun."

Sai felt his body heat up. It wasn't like before. It was a mild sensation and a pleasant one. He felt happy but it was mixed with another feeling he could not place. He wondered if he was blushing. He looked away shyly and started poking at his dinner. He was still hungry but he didn't feel like eating.

Sakura gave Naruto a look, gesturing to the pair across the table with her eyes and beamed from ear to ear. This was starting to go back in the right direction. She was thrilled.

Then Fumhiro started talking again.

"Miss Ino, I thought we could take a walk after dinner tonight before it got dark. Would you be interested?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, that sounds great."

"Wonderful. I'm looking forward to it."

Sai did not ask to join them though he might have in the past. The invitation was directed at Ino again. He was also familiar with the 'third wheel' premise.

Ino tried his pork bun. That was enough for him. He was content with that. He told himself so.

It was enough.

He glanced over at Ino and Fumihiro dining side by side. He missed the attention Ino gave him. Now he was looking at her shoulder.

Her pale, slender shoulder. He had the sudden urge to touch it. Rest his head upon it. Kiss it.

Realizing what he was thinking, he quickly turned away, wondering what had gotten in to him. His heart was beating quickly. He had to calm down.

* * *

Ino finished flossing the sticky pork bun out of her teeth and made sure her smile was radiant for her walk with the young lord. Sai wasn't much of a cook but she appreciated the effort. She never had a guy offer to cook for her.

"It means he cares," she told herself in the mirror. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have made an effort for me. But he still didn't say much about me being with the young lord. But he cooked for me. That's something. And him trying to squeeze between us was so cute. I don't think I can remember a time he pressed so close against me like that."

Wedging himself between her and the young lord in such a way. Could it be?

Ino read the signs and thought for sure Sai was displaying that emotion. Even so, he hadn't said anything to her which left room for doubt.

Ino met the young lord in the hall and they moved towards the garden.

"I haven't arranged anything tonight," he told her. "I thought we would be a little spontaneous."

"Alright."

They stepped onto the wooden porch and started to make their way into the garden.

Suddenly, something black scurried into their path and over to the railing.

"Rat!" Fumihiro shrieked and backed away frantically.

Ino had flinched but the young lord's reaction was far more dramatic. She watched him back against a support beam and call for his guards. Ino looked back to see what had become of the rodent.

The black creature twitched its nose and slipped under the porch, its brush stroke of a tail flicking the air as it hid itself away.

That rat looked awfully familiar.

Ino looked around but could not find him.

Meanwhile, Fumihiro grasped Ino's arm and gently pulled her away. "We should hold off on our walk, Miss Ino. It must wait for another time."

His voice was trembling and she could feel the tension in his fingers as he held her arm in worry. He certainly was sheltered. She hated rats but Ino had grown a thicker skin to tolerate the sigh better than the young lord. She would have freaked out if it had touched her but Fumihiro was freaking out over the mere sight of it.

She was glad to see this side of him. He wasn't just proper, shy and kind. Still, she liked seeing a man's vulnerable side.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Sai sat against the wall reading his book, or pretended to, while Sakura and Naruto discussed the situation.

"We're spending another night here?" remarked Naruto. "How serious is this?"

"I hope Ino isn't really considering this," whined Sakura. "An evening stroll is very romantic."

Naruto peered out the window in hopes of seeing them but he couldn't see anyone in the large garden. He cupped his hands around his eyes to remove the glare from the lights but found the garden quiet and still.

"Man," he said, turning away from the glass. "I didn't think that Fumihiro guy would fall in love with Ino so quick. I mean, he barely knows her. Was he that impressed with us or did he fall for her because she helped him? We all had a hand in it. Why her? Maybe he's the type to fall in love easy."

"It's a political move," said Sakura. "If he marries Ino then his home would have the Leaf's protection. If he runs into trouble, he can call the Leaf Village for help since Ino's originally from that village and they will come to help as soon as possible. They won't even expect to be paid for it because they're coming to help one of their own. It's also like when Gaara was in trouble and you went out of your way to help him. We even brought along a big group and you never expected to be paid for it because you were helping out a friend. Same here. The Leaf will help one of their own free of charge and, so goes the theory, they'll go above and beyond. It'll be like having his own personal ninja army."

Sai did not take his eyes off of his book but he was listening intently to their conversation.

"Oh, so that's what this is about," said Naruto. "I should have suspected, after what that one guy was telling Fumihiro the other night."

"Telling him what?"

"Oh, I was walking by his study or whatever it was and this guy was talking to him about how other lords don't think much of him and should do something to make himself more powerful and respectable in their eyes. I just didn't expect him to take an interest in Ino."

Sai gripped the book in silence.

"So, Fumihiro, whether he likes her or not, might want to marry her so he could have the Leaf's protection?" asked Naruto.

"Not only that but having a ninja bloodline is a pretty good deal, too," Sakura explained. "Any children they have will have the potential to become ninja and use jutsu. While it's true, there are those who can learn to use jutsu through proper training, some techniques are unique to that one ninja bloodline. I can't use Ino's jutsu, but she can and so can her children. That's what the guy's hoping for. A strong bloodline. He thinks their children will be powerful, having his bloodline and connections doubled with Ino's ninja talents and jutsu. I'm sure that's what he's thinking."

"In other words, he's using Ino," said Naruto. "He just wants perks."

"I hope Ino sees that and doesn't latch on to this guy just because he's trying to woo her. Giving her shiny things and all that."

Naruto frowned. "But Fumihiro doesn't seem like a bad guy to me. If he was only in it for the power, he wouldn't be doing all this stuff for her."

Sakura disagreed. "Naruto, he's trying to convince her to stay. It's not like he can keep her prisoner and expect the same results. The Leaf wouldn't consider him an ally, they would attack him. He wants Ino to fall for him so he can get the perks. That's why he's trying to impress her."

Naruto shook his head. "I see what you're saying but I'm not buying it. Not completely. I think Fumihiro actually does care about her. I just don't think he loves her."

"Of course, he doesn't," said Sakura. "He couldn't have fallen in love that fast with a total stranger."

"No, I mean I think he's not just arranging all this stuff to impress her. I think he's trying to date her. You know, so he'll develop feelings for her, too. I think Fumihiro wants a real marriage and not just the perks of having someone of value wedded to you. I think he wants Ino to fall in love with him for real and he wants to love her, too. That's why he's asking her to spend more time here with him. It's not just for her sake, it's for his."

Sakura blinked. "I never thought of it like that." She looked down, a little shocked. Fumihiro wasn't trying to trick Ino or woo her so that their marriage would be one-sided. He wanted to love her, too. He didn't want to win someone over, he wanted a genuine, mutual feeling shared between the two of them.

It was actually sweet. Sakura couldn't look down on the young lord after considering this. He actually was a nice guy and decent enough to want an actual relationship.

If he wanted to marry for the perks, he wouldn't be going through all this trouble. Instead of a contract, he wanted love.

The door opened and Ino stepped inside.

Sakura was about to ask her how the walk went, but Ino went over to Sai without so much as looking at the others. Sensing something was about to happen between the two, Sakura grabbed Naruto and pulled him outside.

Sai saw Ino's legs directly in front of him and looked up.

"Sai…" she said.

He sat where he was, staring up at her.

"… Are you jealous?"

He gave her a bewildered look, dumfounded by the question.

Uncertain of the context, Sai asked, "Why would I be jealous?"

Ino wondered if she was mistaken. But it was Sai's ink rat scurrying across the porch. She was certain of that. Why else would he do that unless he wanted to ruin their date? Ruin it without harming anyone. Why ruin a date unless jealousy was involved? It didn't make sense.

"I just want to know how you feel about me being with Fumihiro," she told him.

"How I feel?" he said slowly.

She nodded.

He looked down, trying to find the answer to that question. He had been doing so many odd things lately, he was no longer sure he understood why. He wasn't sure he understood anything he was doing or feeling anymore.

How did he feel?

"…I… Uh… I…"

He didn't know.

He sighed and kept his eyes down.

Ino waited for him to answer but realized that she wasn't going to be given an answer. Not the one she wanted to hear.

"I miss hanging out with you," Sai told her quietly.

Their eyes met.

Sai giving her an upward glance made him look very puppy-like and she couldn't find it in her to be upset with him. Not just for the look but what he had said and how he said it.

Hanging out could mean as friends or as something more. He never clarified, but Ino was fine with that.

"I miss being with you, too."

Sai's cheeks started to turn pink. Someone actually missed being around him. He didn't hear that a lot. It made him feel very happy.

Just then a guard walked by the open door with a shovel held high, on the hunt for an elusive beast made of ink. They were still looking for Sai's ink rat though it was long gone.

Sai and Ino looked at each other and burst out laughing.

* * *

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

Fumihiro slept in his room as he normally did. Ino stayed in the room she shared with her teammates. Sakura was concerned Ino might be given her own room or be asked to spend the night with the young lord but thankfully that wasn't the case. He was being a gentleman. He also seemed to be giving Ino time to mull over the decision at hand while not isolating her from her friends at the same time.

Their beds were lined up in a row, the girls at each end, Naruto and Sai in the middle. Sai was between Naruto and Ino.

He looked over at the girl in the next bed, wondering if she was asleep or not. She made no sound. Even if she did, he couldn't hear it over Naruto's snoring.

He felt the urge to talk to her but didn't know what to say. It was an odd and frustrating feeling to have the desire to talk but have no topic of conversation. If he were to begin, he would be doing a lot of stuttering which might annoy her. He wasn't the type to ramble on and on but given his recent behavior he couldn't be certain of that.

Having Ino next to him put him at ease. He was happy to have her in his sight and away from the young lord. Oddly enough, despite being at ease around her, sometimes he felt self-conscious. He didn't want to do the wrong thing around her. He didn't like it when he messed up around his friends on any given day but messing up around Ino was… It felt different. It gave him a sense of inadequacy. He felt more embarrassed messing up around her than when he messed up around his friends. He valued her opinion. He wanted to impress her.

But why? He never cared about impressing her before.

He liked seeing her smile but when he caused her to smile just so, knowing he was the reason, he couldn't help but feel warm inside. He felt giddy which wasn't normal for him. He didn't show it on the outside, but on the inside, he was jumping up and down and laughing his head off. He felt invulnerable. His heart soared.

Afterwards, he felt weird. Knowing he didn't normally feel this way, once he calmed down, he was beside himself, wondering why he had done that or if it was correct. Sometimes he wondered if it was a mistake, but only because it wasn't normal for him. It felt good at the time but after the effect wore off he felt awkward.

Sai covered his head with his arms. He always knew he wasn't normal but this… This was different. He felt like someone else had taken over his body and was making him do all these weird things. By the time he returned to his senses, he was left wondering what and why he had done that. All these feelings swirling inside him… What did it mean?

He had a lot on his mind but managed to calm himself down after a few minutes. He told himself the feeling of uncertainty would pass and tried his best to fall asleep. Thinking of soothing things, he finally managed to drift off.

* * *

Sakura woke up before the others, just as the sun was beginning to rise. It was still dark but there was enough light in the room to see her friends. As she looked around to see if anyone else was awake she cupped her hands over her mouth to keep from squealing.

Sai had invaded Ino's bed and seemed to be cuddling her in his sleep. He was normally such a light sleeper and didn't move around very much. As if sensing she was beside him, he instinctively rolled over to be closer to her.

Sakura knew he knew what he wanted and this was proof.

If only she could take a picture of this. She wanted to wake Ino and show her what Sai was doing but she knew she couldn't. Not without risking waking Sai in the process. He would undoubtedly move after that.

When she saw Ino shift slightly, Sakura threw herself back onto the bed and pretended to be asleep.

Ino felt something pressed against her and turned her head to look. Sai had his arm draped over her stomach, his face resting against her arm. He must have rolled over on her in the middle of the night.

Finding him in such a position had her grinning from ear to ear. She could hardly contain herself, trembling with excitement. He had never done this before.

Her movement was enough to stir him from his slumber and he lifted his head, blinking sleepily.

Ino didn't want this moment to end. With every ounce of willpower, she forced herself to calm down and remain still. She moved a little closer to him, hoping he would cuddle her more. More than half-asleep, Sai let his head drop back down onto the bed. He smelled the sweetness of Ino's perfume, still clinging to her from yesterday. It was just subtle enough. Feeling comfortable, he settled into this slightly new position and continued to snooze.

Now Sai had Ino pressed against his chest as he slept, breathing down her slender neck.

Ino was tense, fighting hard to remain still. Finally, she relaxed and enjoyed the moment.

An hour later, everyone was awake and getting ready for the day.

"Good morning, Sai," Ino told him, in a good mood.

Sai had moved before becoming fully aware of the position he was in and never realize he had been cuddling her. "Good morning," he said to her. It was good to hear her say that to him.

While everyone else moved about the room, Sai remained where he was, eyes wandering vacantly. He was deep in thought.

"You ok?"

Sai looked up then looked down again. "Yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about a dream I had."

"What was it about?" Ino asked him.

"Um…"

He could only remember bits and pieces of the dream, but the bits he remembered were weird but very enjoyable.

In his dream, Ino was with him. The fragment he remembered most vividly involved Ino pressing Sai against a wall, kissing him. He was kissing her back, his arms wrapped around her body. She was whispering in his ear but he couldn't make out what she was saying in the dream. Their bodies were moving. He had never moved like that before. It was very pleasurable. In a confined space, pressing against each other in such a way, moving and kissing.

It excited him.

He had dreamed about Ino before but never like that. This was new.

He looked up at Ino who expected an answer to her question. Ashamed to tell her the details, he simply told her, "Um… Not much."

That dream…

Why did he have it? Was his desire coming out in other ways due to his hesitation and uncertainty? His subconscious seemed to know what he wanted. He thought he knew what he wanted but with his mind in a jumble, he couldn't be sure. He had to decipher these thoughts and feelings before he could be certain.

But it was a good dream.

* * *

The group had breakfast with the young lord. It was the quietest meal they had eaten together. Sai kept a close watch on Fumihiro who seemed to be working up the courage to ask Ino something. Sai had gotten much better at reading people and could tell from the way Fumihiro was looking at her with his jaw tightly clenched that she was the target and he was trying to gather his courage to say something to her.

It was probably the wrong move on his part, but Sai wanted to say something. Not because the silence was uncomfortable but because he wanted to express his desire in the only way he could think of.

"We should probably head out soon," he announced. "The Hokage can be pretty laidback but he won't be happy about us taking so long on this one mission. There might be more waiting for us by the time we get back."

He wanted to leave before Fumihiro could steal any more of Ino's attention. Temptation rose the longer they stayed.

To Sai's mind, he was protecting her. He also wanted to return home with his dear friend and carry on with his life.

Unfortunately, hearing that Ino might be leaving soon spurred Fumihiro into opening his mouth to speak to her. Sai's words gave him the push he needed, unwilling to let her leave so quickly.

"Miss Ino," he said. "Before you go, can I interest you in spending one more day with me? We never did go on that walk last night."

Sai balled his hand into a fist.

After seeing Fumihiro get worked up over seeing a rat, her vision of him changed slightly. A young man being scared of a rat wasn't very manly at all. However, she understood why he would get so startled and did find his sensitivity cute.

She wondered if Sai would try to stop them again.

With that thought in mind, she said, "Ok, sure. I guess one more day can't hurt."

Sakura rolled her eyes and Naruto rested his head on his hand, clearly irritated.

Sai had a sad expression on his face. Not because they would be here another day but because Ino wanted to.

She was losing interest in him, he thought. This made him feel rather sad.

He didn't want to hang out with his teammates. He wanted Ino.

He wanted Ino.

Realizing this, the answer was starting to become clear to Sai but there was still a thin layer of fog surrounding it. He was so close, he felt his heart racing with anticipation.

The longer he was around Ino, the clearer the answer became. He just needed that one last push to uncover the truth.

"You probably have to arrange everything," Sai blurted out before he could stop himself. "Why don't you let Ino stay with us until you're ready?"

"That's a splendid idea," said Fumihiro. "I'll have a servant fetch you once things are prepared. I wouldn't want to keep you from your friends. Please enjoy yourselves."

Sai felt himself getting excited again. He mostly felt relieved. He could spend time with Ino.

He didn't just want to hang out with her in order to clear this fog between him and the answer he had been trying to uncover but because he wanted to be with her. He enjoyed her company.

* * *

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

Naruto stood outside Fumihiro's office for several minutes before knocking, trying to think of the best way to approach a sensitive matter.

Normally, he would have simply barged in and spoke whatever words came to mind. Rarely had he ever rehearsed what he was about to say or plan ahead of time, speaking from the heart no matter how the words came out. Even now he wasn't thinking of what he wanted to say. He already knew. He was contemplating how he should say it to the young lord.

Naruto was spontaneous, but with that spontaneity he learned how to think on his feet just in case he found himself in a fix. He didn't always plan things out. Even now he didn't have a plan, but like all those events of the past, he knew what needed to be done.

He knocked on the door and let himself inside.

Fumihiro looked up from his desk. "Naruto. I wasn't expecting you. Is there something you need?"

"I want to talk to you. I had some questions and only you can answer."

Fumihiro set his pen down to give Naruto his undivided attention. As usual, he was giving Naruto a gentle smile; a display of his unwillingness to provoke conflict. It was a form of self-preservation, knowing things would be easier if a smile was involved.

Much like Sai.

Naruto didn't waste any time getting to the point.

"Fumihiro… Do you love Ino?"

It was such a forward question which wiped the smile off Fumihiro's face.

"If you don't love her the way she should be loved, I'm respectfully asking you to leave her alone."

Taken aback by Naruto's words, the young lord sat where he was and said nothing. He attempted to respond but all he could do was stutter.

Naruto dropped his gaze, speaking his mind. "I say 'respectfully' because I know a few years ago I would have come in here yelling at you or try to pull off some prank to make you look bad or annoy you in some way. I'd like to think that it's because I've grown up a bit, but I don't think that's the case. Not for this."

He would have barged in calling Fumihiro names and snapped at him like a soiled child. He would have pranked him in some way. At times, Naruto had the urge to respond that way, but not under these circumstances and he knew why.

"It's because we're dealing with feelings here," Naruto went on. "And I can tell you're a good guy. A decent guy like you… You could have forced Ino to stay here against her will but you didn't. You could have bribed her or threatened her but you didn't. Everything you've done, you've made sure it was Ino's choice. You didn't shove us away. You let us stay with our friend."

Fumihiro was a gentleman. Naruto would have stooped to a lower level of retaliation if he had been a selfish, greedy brat like other rich people Naruto had to deal with on missions who thought only of their own happiness. Fumihiro wasn't like that so Naruto didn't feel comfortable screaming at him or pulling a prank him.

But there was another reason Naruto couldn't bring himself to be hostile toward Fumihiro.

"I know your adviser guy was trying to pressure you into wedding a ninja for the power it would give you. I overheard the other night. But you didn't just snatch her up. You're trying to date her. You want there to be love in your relationship, not just status and political motivations. You want there to be love. If there isn't love between you, then there's no real point, is there?"

Fumihiro said nothing but his unwavering gaze and soft expression told Naruto that his suspicions were correct.

Naruto was always honest about his feelings. He always told the truth. When someone claimed to have feelings they didn't have for his sake or to save themselves pain, Naruto was quick to pick up on it. When Sakura lied to him about her feelings, claiming to love him instead of Sasuke, he could tell it was a lie and it hurt. It was painful for both the receiver and the speaker. Naruto couldn't tolerate people who lied to themselves, making up feelings that weren't there. Love was so important to him. Even if it meant having the girl he had a crush on for so long, he didn't want to be with her if it was based on a lie. He wanted the feeling to be mutual. He knew Sakura would never be happy with him and her happiness was more important than his own because he cared.

She knew who she loved and she couldn't help how she felt. Naruto discovered love in a close friend whom he had always cared for but was too blind to see how she felt about him. He was happy in the relationship he was in right now and knew he loved Hinata. He didn't force the feeling. It came naturally.

Fumihiro couldn't force these feelings to happen, but he wanted to love Ino. That was why he tried to date her. He wanted these feelings to develop.

If they hadn't, what was the point in all this? Naruto wanted his answer.

However, he was certain that, based on how Fumihiro looked and acted, that he was not in love with Ino. He wanted to be but he wasn't.

"Do you love Ino?" Naruto asked again, wanting to hear him say it.

Admitting it aloud would make it real, so Fumihiro was hesitant.

Finally, he said, "No. I do not. But I want to."

He knew it.

Fumihiro sighed heavily. "If there is no love in a relationship, a romantic one, then it is pointless. That's the way I've always seen it. It leaves an empty feeling, a longing that cannot be satisfied. Resentment can come from a relationship with no love and I do not want that."

"So, you're hoping to fall in love with Ino and have her fall in love with you so you can make yourself more powerful and show off your ninja bride to your fellow lords who belittle you because of your age? To tell the truth, it doesn't matter what you do. If your age is the problem they have, nothing you do will change their minds."

Fumihiro looked at Naruto. "You are right about many things, Naruto. But you are mistaken about one."

"Oh?"

"You are correct about my adviser trying to convince me to make myself more powerful in order to gain respect, but that wasn't why I decided to ask Miss Ino to marry me."

Naruto was surprised. "It's not?"

"That night," said Fumihiro, "we were attacked so easily. An enemy slipped right in and took the form of one of my servants. No one suspected a thing. Miss Ino and the rest of you helped us."

"And you were impressed with her strength. That's why you picked her, because she's the one who rescued you."

He shook his head. "It wasn't a random selection, nor was it based on one single incident. It was because we talked. We shared a conversation and I did like being around her. She is rather pretty. I don't interact with many women. Between Miss Ino and Miss Sakura, she was the one I had spoken with the most. I connected more with her than the other."

So, this was the reason. Naruto wondered why it was Ino and not Sakura but he thought it was because Ino was the one who directly helped the young lord. Now he knew there were other reasons involved.

"I want to be fair to Miss Ino," said Fumihiro. "I spend most of my life within these walls. I travel only when I need to and I go into town very rarely and mostly to do business."

That was why all his dates with Ino had been on his property. He wanted to show Ino what a life with him would be like.

"She's free to decline anytime. If Miss Ino has another commitment or other desires, she's free to turn me down. I will not be offended. I want to be fair to the both of us."

Hearing him say that, Naruto said, "You're hoping she turns you down, aren't you? Because you keep trying to have feelings that just aren't there and it's not happening. You want Ino to be the one to say 'no'. It's her choice."

It had always been her choice.

Fumihiro looked at Naruto again. "That night. Do you know what pushed me to ask Miss Ino that question?"

Naruto thought the answer had already been given but shook his head in order to hear Fumihiro's response.

"Honestly, my mind was still a jumble, I think. I acted on impulse. The earlier conversation was still on my mind and having Ino there… I just acted. Afterward I thought I was foolish but then the other reason for my actions resurfaced and I knew I had to see it through."

"There's another reason?"

Fumihiro paused before answering, as if to find the right phrasing.

"You, like Miss Ino and the other ninja, were hired to come here and do a job for me. I am paying you money to do something and once your mission is finished you go home."

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded slowly.

"I pay my servants to do a job for me but they do not go home once it is finished. They live here with me."

Naruto was beginning to understand.

"I pay them fair wages in addition to providing them with free meals and a roof over their head. Those who serve me consider me generous. They only have to spend money on clothing and trinkets. Some save their pay to afford a vacation. However, some send part of their wages to their families who need the money. My servants are like my family, but they have families of their own. People who love them. People who care for them. Who would miss them."

Fumihiro looked at his desk, speaking softly, the weight on his shoulders pressing the words past his teeth.

"I was fearful for my staff. I can replace servants easily, but you cannot replace a loved one. If anything were to happen to them… With that thought in my head, I knew I had to make sure my people were safe. I have to make sure I increased my clan's power. It's not about my protection, it's…"

"Their protection," Naruto finished. Fumihiro wasn't doing this to satisfy others so much as to protect his people. This staff was his family. Fumihiro was the only surviving member of his clan. If it weren't for these people, he would be all alone.

There were many reasons Naruto couldn't be upset with Fumihiro. This was just another reason to add to the list.

Aside from his desire to protect those important to him, there was something else about Fumihiro that forced Naruto into a position where he couldn't hate the young lord.

His mild-mannered personality and self-protecting smile reminded him of Sai in a small way.

Naruto gave Fumihiro a smile of his own. A smile to wave off any uncertainty.

"You know, your staff is a lot stronger than you think they are. You don't need to marry anyone special in order to keep them safe. I think they can handle themselves. Have a little faith."

"I do trust them."

"I meant faith in yourself," said Naruto. "Take people's advice but in the end do your own thing if you feel it's right for you. You don't have to please other people if it means being unable to live with yourself."

Fumihiro stared at Naruto who continued to smile.

Naruto came in here looking for answers and he got them. He knew all he needed to know.

The rest was up to Sai and Ino.

* * *

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

This was a golden opportunity to spend some time together and neither was going to waste it. They weren't sure what they were going to do but they wanted to do it together. In the end, Sai and Ino settled on simply sitting in a room together and talk.

This time Ino didn't mention the activities she had done with the young lord. In fact, she didn't mention him at all.

Their conversation was random and the topic often changed.

Feeling nostalgic, Sai opted to reminisce for a little while after they concluded a different topic and created a long pause to think of something else to address.

"Do you remember when you made that bento for me back at the village?"

Ino smiled. "Of course. I can make you another one if you like."

"Well, the first one was really good."

Ino placed her head on Sai's shoulder, sitting side by side against the wall.

"Your attempt to cook for me wasn't too bad," she told him, remembering the gummy pork bun.

He scoffed. "Yeah. Sorry about that. It might be best if you cook for me from now on."

Ino stiffened, wondering if this was a roundabout way of saying he wanted to go steady with her or if this was some sort of proposal.

"You can cook and I can't."

It didn't seem to be code for anything, Ino realized. Sai was just giving her a complement.

"I still think we should cook together some time. That way I can show you some things."

Sai smiled. "I'd like that."

He knew a girl cooking for a boy was a way for them to express their feelings, but Sai didn't want Ino to think he wanted to turn her into some sort of servant and order her to cook for him all the time.

Which prompted him to add, "I do enjoy taking you out, though. It's probably less trouble for you. It's very convenient."

Ino nodded her head against his shoulder. "It is nice to be catered to. And going to a nice restaurant is a lot of fun."

A nice restaurant.

"Maybe I can take you for ramen some time," Sai offered. "It's nothing fancy, but…"

"Sure. I'd like that."

Sai felt Ino place her hand on top of his. He didn't move away.

He stayed perfectly still.

He wasn't sure what to do at a time like this.

In books, romantic ones anyway, this was usually when two people stared into each other's eyes and kissed. He wondered if he should do that but something was telling him not to.

He was at war with himself again. Two sides in conflict over what he should do in this moment. One wanted to do what the books suggested because it was apparently normal in this situation but another side quarreled with that notion surmising that it wasn't appropriate right now and would frighten Ino away which Sai didn't want to do. This side of him was telling him not to do it just because a book said to do so. The other side didn't know what to do and needed to consult other material to find the answer but his main source of material happened to come from books.

They were his tool to connect with people but he didn't need them as much as he did in the past and even then he often misread the situation. Perhaps this was why he was being pulling in two different directions within his own mind and body. He was second guessing himself.

Part of him didn't want to do this because he felt he didn't need to consult books anymore. At the same time, that same part was telling him that he risked ruining things with Ino if he did what the books told him to do, especially if Ino wasn't ready for something like that.

Just because the book said something didn't mean it was the right thing to do in this situation. He had to be the one to decide what he was going to do. Not some character in a fantasy novel or a girly magazine.

However, the more he felt Ino's body pressed against his, the more he wanted to act upon those urges. Urges described in books and dealt with in a certain manner. He was having urges of his own, many of which weren't mentioned in things he read and wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with them. That was why he wanted to consult his reading material. He wanted to know what these strange feelings meant and what he should do about them.

He had the strange desire to act out his dream with Ino. His dream self knew exactly what to do but he did not. He also wasn't sure if things would work out as smoothly as they did in the dream. He might do it all wrong and offend Ino. He might make her uncomfortable. He didn't want to do it wrong.

He fought to suppress these strange urges, convincing himself that until he knew why he was having these feelings he shouldn't act upon them. He wouldn't give in until he had more answers.

"We should go back to the beach sometime," said Ino.

Sai envisioned her purple bikini and, unlike before, the sight of it made his body start to heat up.

"You looked beautiful," he told her on impulse.

"Thanks."

The images from his dream were starting to take over his consciousness. The urges were getting stronger. He really wanted to act out that fantasy. He was curious.

Sai focused on a spot on the opposite wall and tried to collect himself. The more Ino held him, the hotter he became. The stronger the feelings. Feelings he never felt before. Feelings he didn't fully understand.

He tried to force himself to think of something else. He had to distract himself.

"Sai, can I ask you something?"

"Uh-huh."

Ino took her head off Sai's shoulder to look at him. She couldn't lift her gaze to look at his face. If she had, she would have notice Sai's blushing cheeks.

"How would you feel about me staying here with Fumihiro?"

Sai's heart thumped loudly in his chest. On the plus side, many of those odd feelings he suffered before faded away as soon as those words reached his ears.

Sai looked at her. "Uh…"

Her eyes were downcast. He had the desire to lift her chin with his hand and do something to show her how he felt. To comfort her.

Instead, he did nothing. He kept his hands to himself, afraid of what she might do to him.

"I… Uh… I…"

Why couldn't he speak his mind? Why was it so difficult now? He was always able to do it before. Why couldn't he speak? What was holding him back?

Sai tried again to tell her his thoughts on the matter but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Why? Just say it. It's easy. Open your mouth and speak. It's no different from the past.

But things were different. Very different from before. He didn't know why but it was.

How he could speak and how he could speak to her had changed.

He felt… anxiety.

Whatever he said, however he said it, he feared it would be wrong.

It wasn't just a sense of inadequacy. It was an unwillingness to disappoint her.

Sai tried one more time to say something but after failing yet again, Sai did not try again. He simply closed his mouth and gave Ino a pained expression she barely took notice of. She could barely bring herself to look at him, both in asking the question and waiting to hear the response.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, at a loss for words. It was the only thing he was trained to say in any situation that could be made worse if he answered in any other way. He just couldn't say anything else.

Afterward, he couldn't look at her and stood up. He meekly excused himself and shuffled out the door.

* * *

Sai rested his chin on the railing outside and stared vacantly into the colorful garden. After replaying the awkward moment over again in his mind, Sai banged his forehead against the railing. His headband protected him from damage but it still hurt.

Naruto noticed Sai silently reprimanding himself and came over to check on him.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Sai told him honestly. "I just… I don't know. I just don't feel like myself. I feel so confused. I feel conflicted. I don't know what's going on with me."

He was hoping the feeling would have passed by now but it hadn't.

Naruto sighed. "Well… I'm sure in time…"

"Why couldn't I tell her?" Sai looked up at him with a pleading look in his eyes.

Naruto had decided it was best to let Sai reach the conclusion on his own but seeing him like this really tugged at his heartstrings. He had to comfort Sai without revealing exactly why he was in turmoil.

"I'm sure you're just stressed because of Fumihiro's proposal to Ino. I mean, we're all a little thrown off by that."

"Is that why I feel like this?" Sai asked him, desperate for answers.

"Well, uh… How do you feel?"

Sai tried to analyze himself and put the feelings into words.

"I feel… I feel confused, mostly. And just… I don't know. I just don't feel like myself."

"How so?"

Sai gave the most recent example he could think of. "Ino asked me how I felt about her accepting the young lord's proposal. And I couldn't tell her. I just couldn't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know why not. I should have but I couldn't."

Naruto tried to give Sai a little push, hoping Sai would uncover the truth on his own. "What would you have said to her?"

Sai paused. Then he said, "I would have told her I didn't want her to go with him. That I didn't want her to accept. That her leaving the village and all her friends might not make her happy. That the village wouldn't be the same without her in it. That we would miss her. That I would miss her."

"And why couldn't you have told her that when she asked?"

"I don't know. I… I…" Sai looked away. "I guess I just… Didn't want to disappoint her."

Naruto raised his brow. "But she asked you, so…"

"I just felt that anything I said would have made things worse. I want Ino to be happy. If I tell her not to without a good reason…"

"You have a good reason."

"But I don't want to upset her. I'm worried that anything I say will come out wrong and she'll… hate me." Sai looked down. "I don't want that to happen. I don't want her to be upset with me."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like it when people are upset with me."

"You still speak your mind around us."

"Yes, but even then, I didn't like it when I said or did the wrong thing. I was uncomfortable and didn't want you to be mad at me. And with Ino… It's even worse and it didn't used to be."

"Why not?" Naruto prompted.

"Because I got to know her and she's a very close friend now."

"So why is it worse for you if you disappoint her or say the wrong thing in front of her?"

"I value her opinion of me."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to lose a dear friend."

Naruto thought for sure Sai would have realized the truth by now. "That's the only reason?"

Sai's gaze wavered with uncertainty. "Well… Yes. I… I really like her and if I do something wrong or… She's important to me. I don't want to lose her. We've gotten really close and I know she cares about me. So, I…"

She cared about him in a special way. It was different from how Naruto and Sakura cared about him. He valued that. The more time they spent together, the more he witnessed it. He felt her kindness. She could stand to be around him longer than anyone else. She cared about him in a way no one else did. She found his awkward actions cute and showed him affection. She was patient with him. She told him he was sweet and kind and honest and how much she liked that about him. She also said he was good-looking and no one else had ever said that about him. She displayed her strength but wasn't afraid to show her vulnerable side to him. She made him feel needed. Wanted.

"Ino is… irreplaceable to me," Sai confessed.

It wasn't exactly what Naruto wanted to hear but this was what he had been hoping for. At least Sai confessed that simple but important truth. That was enough. Sai acknowledged that Ino was that important to him.

Naruto smiled. That was all he could do.

Sai found Naruto's smile comforting. It made him feel someone understood.

Sai returned to the railing and threw himself upon it in a very Naruto-like fashion, still overwhelmed with feeling.

"I don't understand why I feel this way," he said. "I haven't been myself lately. I feel conflicted. I feel like I'm losing my mind. I feel like a stranger in my own skin. My actions are all over the place. So is my head. I don't understand why I'm doing these odd things. I'm feeling things I have never felt before. I don't know what to do. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Sai had never been in love before. The feeling was sneaking up on him and after hearing someone else's interest in Ino, Sai was thrust into a whirlwind of emotion. He had yet to discover the true identity of his feelings which made everything even more overwhelming. If he had realized his feelings sooner, he might have been able to handle the situation better. Since he still didn't realize his true feelings for Ino, everything he was feeling seemed out of place and strange to him.

Sai turned his head to look at Naruto. "Is this just because of what the young lord said and the fact that the Leaf wouldn't be the same without Ino in it?"

Naruto couldn't give him the answer. He had to restrain himself and let Sai discover it on his own. So, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and went over to Sai's side to support his friend with his company.

"I think it's only something you can answer. You know your feelings better than anyone."

"Doubtful," said Sai. "If I did, I wouldn't be feeling this way. I guess I don't understand emotions as well as I think I do. At least, that's what I thought."

He never thought he understood them. Feelings eluded his grasp for so long. He got better acquainted with them in the company of Naruto and the others and his studies, but Sai didn't think he fully understood them. Not until Kakashi told him that he knew more than he thought. He knew he had gotten better. He didn't require those books as much as he did in the past, but at times like these he thought he wasn't as connected as he believed he was.

"Where is Ino?" Naruto asked.

"I ran out of the room when I couldn't provide an answer to her question. I believe she's still there."

Naruto sighed heavily. "I think you should go and spend some more time with her before she makes her decision."

Sai looked at him. "Are you sure? I thought…"

"What if she decides to stay with him?" Naruto asked. "Wouldn't you like to spend as much time with her as you can before you part ways?"

"I…" Sai looked down. "But if I do, it might be harder to say good-bye."

"From the sound of things, Ino's still on the fence about this. Having you there might help her make the right decision."

"But what if she wants to be with him and I keep her from what she wants?"

"What if she wants to stay at the village but thinks there's no one there who will miss her so she has to be with Fumihiro?"

Sai opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Realizing Naruto had a point, Sai closed his mouth and nodded. "You're right. I would probably feel the same way."

Sai stood up.

Perhaps Ino was just as lonely as he was.

With that thought in mind, Sai turned around and went to find Ino.

Naruto leaned against the railing, rubbing his temples with both hands. "Get a move on, Sai. It's not that complicated."

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Sai knew what he was going to say and was determined not to get discouraged this time. He was holding back because he didn't want to make a mistake. He wanted Ino to be the one to make the move to let him know it was ok. However, if Ino was thinking along the same lines as he was and was waiting for him to make a move, then they would be at a stalemate. That might have been what was happening now. With that thought in mind, Sai knew he had to be the one to make the move. He had to share his thoughts on the matter.

"I just have to tell her that she would be missed if she went with Fumihiro and stayed here. I know I would miss my friends if I were in her position." After all, he requested to remain with Naruto even after his mission was over. That decision really changed his life, and for the better.

If he hadn't, he never would have met Ino and the others. He wouldn't have gotten closer to people. He wouldn't have formed bonds and made friends.

If he had the power to keep them in his life, he would do it. He would do everything in his power to make them stay.

That nagging voice in his head telling him to consider Ino's happiness was what caused him to hesitate so often when the opportunity presented itself to share his feelings. He wanted Ino to be happy which was why he wanted her to make the decisions. That was why he was reluctant to get involved.

However, if she was waiting for him to say something to help her reach a decision, then he had to speak.

He just didn't want to choose incorrectly.

Was it worth Ino giving up something she wanted? What if she wanted to go with Fumihiro and was only going to stay at the village because Sai told her to? He wasn't going to order her to stay. He just wanted to tell her that she would be missed if she left. But what if she stayed so she wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings?

Sai started to second guess himself again. He had to shove those thoughts out of his mind.

"Ino."

Sai spoke her name before he made it into the room. She was sitting right where he left her.

"Sai?"

"I'm sorry I took off like that," he told her quickly. "I should have answered your question but I got nervous."

"Nervous?"

Sai didn't give her time to mull over what this meant. He spoke quickly before he could lose his nerve.

"I want you to choose whoever you want to be with. If the young lord makes you happy and you want to stay with him, then do that. I just want you to be happy. I can't make the choice for you. It's yours. But… But I just want to say that… if you do decide to stay with him and live here… then… that… I mean… I just want you to know that you'll be missed greatly, that's all."

Sai took in a deep breath, feeling himself shake slightly. He managed to get through it but the whole ordeal made him very nervous for some reason.

Ino's big eyes never left his face. She stood up, staring steadily into his eyes.

"You'd… miss me?"

"Everyone would. Myself included."

Knowing that Sai would miss her greatly had Ino's cheeks flush pink.

She thought it was the moment she was waiting for.

Then Sai said the wrong thing.

"You and I have become great friends."

Friends.

Just friends.

Not lovers but friends.

She was happy to know that Sai would miss her if she left the village but hearing that it would be one friend missing another pierced her heart.

"Oh. I see."

What did she have to do? She thought she had given Sai all the hints in the world that she wanted a romantic relationship with him but he clearly didn't feel the same way. She didn't want to give up but what else could she do to make her feelings more obvious?

"Sai, I…"

A servant knocked on the wooden frame supporting the open door. "The young lord will see you know, Miss Ino."

Ino dropped her gaze. Then she looked up at Sai and said, "I'll see you around, then."

Sai watched her leave, his heart aching in his chest.

For some reason, hearing her say those words to him in such a melancholy fashion made him feel very sad. Though he had told Ino that he would miss her and that they were close friends, she seemed so disappointed. This was not his intention.

"I screwed up again."

It wasn't the same feeling he had when Naruto got mad and punched him and Sai hurriedly tried to fix the matter by reading what he should do when a friend misunderstood him. It was worse. Much worse.

He didn't want Naruto to be upset with him. He wanted Naruto to be his friend. He wanted to be a good friend. Getting something wrong and having a friend and teammate upset with him felt awkward and terrible, but having Ino upset with him felt even worse. A was a stab to his pride but Sai never thought he was very prideful. In addition, having the knowledge that Ino was disappointed with him made him feel…

He felt…

Inadequate. Ashamed? Disappointed with himself, maybe?

All he felt was pain.

He didn't know what kind of pain but he hurt inside.

He wanted to right this mistake but he wasn't sure what to do.

Everything drained out of him, leaving him with a numb feeling. It was a similar feeling he had when he couldn't draw anything.

He felt so sad and useless. There was nothing he wanted to do. He felt restless and tired at the same time.

He could not place this feeling but he didn't have to.

It would be with him for a long time.

* * *

Fumihiro fixed his hair in the mirror above his nightstand by the bed and tugged at the collar of his robes. He wanted to look presentable for Ino on their final night together before her decision was made official. This was his last chance to win her heart and make her his wife. After this night, if things went well, they would be together forever.

 _"If you don't love her the way she deserves…"_

Fumihiro stared at his reflection in the mirror with an empty feeling in his chest.

 _"Leave her alone."_

Naruto's words haunted him.

It was pointless. He knew this entire ordeal was pointless if he couldn't love her back. It didn't matter if he won her heart if he didn't love her.

He dropped his hand to his side and gave himself one final long look in the mirror.

He didn't care how he looked. He didn't care about any of this. He no longer wanted it.

If he hadn't fallen for her yet, it was unlikely for him to fall for her tonight.

"Lord Fumihiro," came a servant girl's voice. "Miss Ino has arrived."

Fumihiro looked at the closed door with a sigh.

That servant girl.

The cooks, the maids.

Everyone.

How could be protect his family with no power?

He had to do this.

He lowered his head in sadness. He knew he couldn't force these feelings, but he had to love her in order for this to work.

He had to.

With a strong sense of duty, Fumihiro gathered himself and placed a confident hand on the door. He opened it and stepped outside with a smile.

"Miss Ino. Please follow me."

* * *

"Has anyone seen Sai?" Naruto asked.

Sakura shook her head. "Wasn't he with you?"

"He was, then he went to find Ino and now I can't find him. Ino's with Fumihiro so I don't know where he is."

Sakura had seen Ino together with Fumihiro and hoped she was turning him down. However, they were spending an awful lot of time together for a refusal. If Ino wasn't going to decline…

"You said Sai was going to talk to Ino?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what he was going to say?"

"Just that he was going to miss her if she stayed with Fumihiro. But I don't know if he said it. He left and I gave them their privacy."

If Ino wasn't turning the young lord down then one of two things occurred. Either Sai didn't tell Ino or whatever he said came out wrong. The third option was that she ignored him but Sakura doubted that was the case knowing how Ino felt about Sai. It was definitely one of the other two.

Sakura went to the bedroom they all shared to look for Sai. Naruto informed her that he already looked there but she didn't think he was looking in the right place. Sure enough, Sai was in the bedroom, just not out in the open.

He was in the bedding closet among the sheets and futons.

Sai was laying on his side, facing the inside of the closet so Sakura couldn't see his face.

"Sai, are you ok?" Sakura asked him gently.

"Yeah."

"You don't sound ok."

Sai didn't move.

"You seem depressed."

"Is that what I'm feeling? I knew there was a word for it. I just never felt it before."

As far as Sakura could tell, he wasn't depressed so much as he had a broken spirit. He seemed empty.

She knew something happened during their conversation and had to know what so she could help. She had never seen Sai like this before.

He was hiding for two reasons and neither involved avoiding people. He felt like moping and wanted to be away from sunlight during the derision. The second reason involved him subconsciously desiring to hide from the feeling that followed him like a dark cloud. He didn't know what this feeling was but wanted to be rid of it but lacked the motivation to do something about it so he simply avoided everything and remained alone.

She already knew the answer but asked anyway, "Did you talk to Ino?"

"… Yes."

"What did she say to you?"

"Not much and too much."

Sakura rubbed Sai's back in an effort to comfort him. "Tell me what happened. It can't be that bad. Come on, please, Sai? Tell me what you said to her."

Sai rolled onto his stomach then turned his head to face Sakura. He didn't look pitiful as she expected. Just drained.

"I told her how I felt."

"You did?" Sakura was so excited but the result didn't match what she expected to see which meant Sai's words must have come out wrong. "What did you tell her exactly?"

"I told her that if she left the Leaf Village to be with the young lord, she would be missed. By all of us. Myself included."

"And..?" She knew there had to be more to it than that. "What else did you say?"

Sai let his cheek sink into the sheet he laid on, still moping and trying to figure out what went wrong himself. "I was honest with her and told her my feelings."

Sakura pressed him for answers while trying to console him at the same time.

"She seemed pleased to hear that she would be missed. Then she looked so disappointed. After that… I just felt like doing nothing and crawled in here."

Sakura tried to figure out where things went wrong but had the notion that Sai wasn't giving her the whole story.

"Did she get disappointed before or after you said she would be missed?"

"After," Sai answered.

"Then what did you say after you told her we would miss her?"

"That I would miss her, too."

"And she got disappointed when you said that?"

Sai thought back to the conversation and shook his head weakly. "After I said that."

Sakura tried to piece things together. "Then you must have said something after that. What did you say after you said you would miss her?"

"That she was a very close friend of mine."

Of course.

That was where he went wrong.

Ino didn't want Sai to say they were friends, even close friends. Now she thought that Sai didn't want to be anymore than friends with her. That was why she seemed disappointed. She was. She wanted to be more than friends with him and Sai just about confirmed that they would never be.

"Ok…"

"I was honest with her and told her my feelings. She seemed so disappointed when I did. I was honest and she…" Sai pressed his face into the sheets. "What did I say? What did I do wrong? I don't understand."

Sakura couldn't tell him what Ino wanted to hear without putting words in his mouth. Naruto was adamant about Sai coming to the realization on his own, but this was getting ridiculous. She had to say something. Sai was screwing it up. Clearly, he needed help. He needed someone to hold his hand.

"That's what you told her? That she was your close friend? That's how you feel?"

Sai lifted his head slightly. "Yes. I truly feel that way."

"So, you and Ino have the same bond as you have with me and Naruto?"

"Yes. Well, no."

"How do you mean?"

Sai propped himself up on his elbows to speak more clearly to her.

"Well," he said, "I can talk to you two about a lot of things, but I can do that with Ino, too. But it feels different. And I've done things with Ino that I can't do with you or Naruto. You are all irreplaceable to me but with Ino… I don't know why it's different but it is."

"Ok…"

Sai tried to explain himself but it was very difficult. "We all have a bond. I'm close with Naruto. More so than I am with you. But we're all still close, being friends and teammates. But with Ino… I just feel a different kind of connection to her. That's all. I'm not sure why my bond with her is different."

"Well, would it help if you explain what it is you feel when you're around her?"

He shrugged. "Not that different from being with you guys."

"Seriously?"

"Well… Maybe a little different."

"You two dated."

"We've been over this. I owed her a favor and she wanted a date. I had fun and requested a second. The other times weren't dates by my definition but where to other people."

"And..?"

"And nothing." Sai crawled out of the closet and stood next to Sakura. "We got close during those dates and we're good friends now. I felt her kindness. I know how much she cares about me."

"And?"

"And I guess that's why I feel sad knowing that she might leave the village to be with someone else. I imagine I would feel the same way if you or Naruto left."

"Are you kidding me?" She raised her brow at him. "The same way?"

"Why not? You're both very close to me. I would feel an empty space in my heart if either of you left." Sai started to walk out the door. "Can we not talk about this anymore? I'm not feeling well."

"But Sai-"

Sai ignored her and went down the hall. Naruto met him at the intersecting halls and seemed happy to see him.

"Hey, there you are. I was-"

"I don't want to talk right now."

Sai tried to move around him but Naruto grabbed his wrist.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to be alone and Sakura came in asking me all kinds of questions and now I feel even worse than before."

"What did you talk about?"

"Ino. And bonds and things. Can I go now?"

Naruto didn't let go of his wrist. "What brought that up?"

"I told Ino she was a dear friend of mine and she seemed disappointed and it made me feel bad. I guess Sakura was trying to help me feel better but it just made me uncomfortable."

"Which part? Sakura's reaction or Ino's?"

"I don't know. Both. She started asking me how I felt about Ino and I told her we are close friends like you and I are but she kept badgering me."

Naruto let go of Sai's wrist. He kept his gaze fixed on his friend, eyes serious and caring at the same time.

"Sai…"

Hearing him say his name in such a tone loosened Sai's tongue and he couldn't stop himself from speaking as his emotions overflowed.

"I am so confused!" Sai blurted out in frustration. "I haven't been myself on this mission. Ever since the young lord said that to Ino, I've been acting so strange and I don't know why. My own actions confuse me. They're not me. I'm doing weird things and I'm being bombarded with questions I don't have the answers to. It's getting to be too much."

Naruto didn't take his eyes off him for a second.

"Sai, we all have questions but only you know the answers. Even to the questions you yourself are asking. You don't have to overthink it. Just… let things come as they come."

"But I've been trying to answer my own questions and I just can't do it. I don't know what's going on with me. I don't know why I've been feeling this way ever since the young lord proposed to Ino like that. I've been asking myself a lot of things after that. I mean, even Ino must have noticed I was acting weird because she asked me a question last night."

"What did she ask?"

"She asked me if I was jealous." Sai gave a big shrug of his shoulders. "I don't know why I would be."

"I suppose. I mean, all he did was ask Ino, your dear friend, to marry him. I don't see why you would be jealous about that."

"Exactly," said Sai. "Why would I? It's not like I have any claim to her. She's her own person and it's her choice. It doesn't matter… how I feel…"

Sai trailed off, imagining Ino's life with Fumihiro. He couldn't see her smile. Side by side with the young lord, in this mansion, far from the Leaf and all her friends, she didn't look the same.

He wouldn't see her smile because of the distance between them. It was because he knew she wouldn't be happy.

She didn't smile at Fumihiro the same way she did when she was with Sai. She didn't laugh like she did when she was with him.

"I want Ino to be happy."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Because I care about her. You care about our happiness because we're such good friends and that's the kind of person you are."

"And you think Ino will be happy with Fumihiro?"

"No," said Sai. "I don't."

"Ok," said Naruto. "And you must know this because you're so close with her."

"Of course. I know so much about her. She told me. I don't talk much anyway, so I get to hear her talk a lot." Sai started to smile. "But Ino knows a lot about me, too. Things I never mentioned. The way she held me let me know how important I am to her and I felt how much she cared. I want Ino to experience the same joy she gives me and I don't think the young lord can do that."

"Sure," said Naruto. "I mean, you do a lot to show Ino that you care, don't you?"

"Yes. And I know she likes it. I can see it in her eyes and smile." Sai started to blush. "The way she wiggles her shoulders when she fidgets is actually kind of cute. How she can't contain her joy just… It makes my heart beat fast and I enjoy seeing her express the feelings that come so easily to her. And she is so patient with me. I know how flawed I am but she accepts me anyway. She never made me feel like it was a problem. She actually acts like my awkwardness is cute in her eyes. I don't really get that from anyone else."

"Well, friends do accept each other for who they are, right?"

"But with her, it's more than that. How she expresses her feelings for me is different from other people. I can do things with her that I can't anyone else. She expresses her feelings to me in various ways, like cooking. And I know girls usually only cook for those they are really close with. I mean, Hinata cooks for you all the time and I see how she smiles when you eat her cooking. I do the same for Ino."

"Uh-huh."

Sai paused. "I do the same… for Ino…"

Expressing feelings.

"And you tried cooking for Ino, didn't you?"

"… Yes, I did. It didn't turn out very well but she ate it anyway. She even said she wanted to cook with me sometime. She said it would be fun to do it together."

"Do you think it would be fun?"

"With her, yes. I like doing things with Ino. I like seeing her reactions to different things. I like seeing her happy and making her smile. I care about her a lot and she really is irreplaceable to me."

Sai's eyes narrowed slightly.

"The things we do together are special. I… I don't like seeing her to it with someone else. Not like that. And the young lord doesn't know her as well as I do. He's trying to win her favor but… But I want to be the one to make her smile. I want to do those things with Ino."

"That sounds a bit like jealousy to me."

"Maybe it is," said Sai. "I don't feel it often. I don't feel a lot of what I've been feeling lately, actually. And I have been doing weird things."

There was a trigger for every event.

"I wanted Ino to notice me. I've been trying to get her attention."

"Why?"

"Because I miss spending time with her," said Sai. "My actions… I've… I've been trying to show her how I feel. I've been trying to express how important she is to me. She expresses herself in various ways. Like cooking for me, so I tried cooking for her. I want to spend time with her. I like it when we hold hands. She willingly touches me and smiles at me without putting forth any effort. And I smile so easily when I'm around her, too."

"Because you're so close and she makes you happy?"

"Yes. That's what I said before. I… I want Ino to stay in the Leaf Village with us. With me. I would miss her too much. I'll never find anyone like her again. Not someone who makes me feel this way. Not someone who can tolerate me so much and enjoy my company. And I enjoy hers. Her kindness is special. Her eyes and smile are one of a kind. I care about her so much. I want her to be happy. I want to be with her and get closer and closer. I want to be with her because I…"

Sai's voice ended there, just as the words were about to spill from his lips. His brain registered what he was about to say next before he could say it.

"Because I…"

All his actions started to make sense. His jealousy, his desire to be with her, the joy he felt when he made Ino happy. How happy she made him.

"Because… I… I…"

The desire, his dream, how it pained him to see Ino disappointed and sad.

Her actions spelled one thing clearly. Him mimicking those actions mirrored the same feeling. A feeling they both shared for each other.

Her kindness was different from others for a reason. The feelings and bond he had with her were different for a reason.

He could finally recognize it for himself.

"Because I… think I… love her."

Saying it made it real and his heart pounded in his chest, leaping and souring in ecstasy.

"I love her?"

He didn't need to consult books or observe others to know this was what he had been feeling all along. He finally uncovered the truth. He realized his true feelings.

"I love Ino." Sai's face broke into a wide smile. "I'm in love with Ino."

* * *

Finally!

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	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18:**

The walk through the garden with Fumihiro was very romantic but Ino did not smile.

She was disappointed with how things were working out between her and Sai. She wasn't willing to give up. She knew there was a way to get him to fall for her.

On the other hand, she had another option. Fumihiro clearly wanted to be with her. He welcomed her into his home and proposed to her. He treated her well and she believed she could be happy here.

At the same time, she wasn't sure if she wanted this. She felt she would be settling for Fumihiro. She wanted someone else. She believed she would be happy with Sai.

Was this the limit of their connection? Could their relationship be taken no further? Would Sai only ever see her as a friend?

Before he hardly noticed her. He called her beautiful so he must have been attracted to her on some level. However, he didn't really pay that much attention to her. She thought she hadn't been doing enough to make him notice her. Then she thought he was just being shy. Sai offering to repay her for her kindness and for rescuing him which proved to Ino that he did take notice of her and wanted to take things to the next level.

Perhaps she was reading it all wrong.

No, she couldn't have. They had gotten closer. There was no mistaking it. She felt they had connected. Sai was more open with her than before. He paid more attention to her than he did in the past. He seemed to like being with her. He told her so.

Then why did they feel stuck?

She held on to hope that they could be more than friends but if they were stuck…

How long was she expected to wait?

She had another option.

But it didn't feel right.

"Miss Ino."

She looked up. "Yes?"

Fumihiro wasn't looking at her. His eyes were staring out over the garden. "Can you see yourself living here? Happily?"

She looked down.

"You won't offend me with your answer. Just speak your heart so I will have the courage to do so."

His response was dependent on hers.

He could tell that she wasn't in love with him. If she confessed this truth, it would be easier for him to admit that the lack of feeling was mutual.

If she answered differently…

He didn't know what to do then.

* * *

Sai looked stunned the moment he realized his feelings. The shock turned to joy and Sai looked positively euphoric.

"That's why I've been feeling this way. No wonder I've been acting so strangely. I'm in love."

Now that he had an explanation, all the pieces fit into place and his confusion was gone and the storm calmed within him. Everything was so clear now.

With the confusion gone and uncertainty of his feelings made known, Sai was able to realize that he was in love and felt the feeling in its entirety.

Being in love felt great.

Sai couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He didn't know how long he had been in love with her but he knew he loved her now.

He felt so energized. So excited. The emotion bubbled and swelled inside his body he could hardly contain himself. He had never felt this way before but it was a much nicer feeling than the one he had before when he didn't know what was going on.

Naruto was overjoyed as well, mostly because Sai finally figured out his feelings. Identifying the feeling seemed to give it power and Naruto had never seen Sai look so rapturous. He wanted to jump up and down with Sai in celebration.

He opened his mouth to congratulate Sai.

BOOM!

The floor beneath them shook. The lanterns rattled and people inside the building screamed.

Sai's face instantly turned serious and reflexively grabbed his kunai. "Something's wrong. That was a contained explosion from below the mansion."

"That's where they were keeping that guy who tried to steal from Fumihiro."

Both knew this meant the prisoner had escaped.

"I'll go that way. Sakura probably heard it, too. We can't let him get away."

Sai's head turned to the right, staring in the direction of the garden. "The young lord is the target. Ino is with him."

"Go," Naruto told him. "I'll backup Sakura and look after the servants."

Sai rushed to the garden to protect the young lord and offer Ino backup.

* * *

"The thing is…" Ino began. "I…"

The water in the pond rippled and a vibration ran up Ino's legs. Her head turned towards the mansion, knowing the tremor must have originated from that point. Something was happening inside the building.

Fumihiro heard his servants scream and moved to return to the mansion. Ino threw out her arm to stop him.

"Wait."

"But my people…"

"My friends are in there. I'm sure they're taking care of them. You're the target. You stay here."

Fumihrio gave his home a worried look. He followed Ino's instructions and stayed behind her. He didn't like using a woman as a shield, but she was the one offering to protect him. There was little else he could do.

Ino remained perfectly still, letting her senses detect the slightest of sounds and movements. The sun had nearly set, plunging the world into twilight. The enemy could be hiding in the shadows or around the corner. There was enough light to both conceal and illuminate them.

Something moved on the roof and Ino stepped in front of Fumihiro to block any oncoming attacks. She sent a kunai souring in the figure's direction and they quickly moved to the other end of the roof to retaliate.

"Stay behind me," Ino warned Fumihiro. "I got this."

It was too risky to use her jutsu if she couldn't clearly see her target. She had to wait until they presented themselves or were trapped.

This was the prefect time for Shikamaru to immobilize the enemy but he wasn't with her on this mission and would have to do it herself. Her teammate just made it a lot easier.

Something glinted and Ino shouted for Fumihiro to get down. He fell to his knees and ducked while Ino deflected a small knife with her kunai. It wasn't a standard ninja weapon but it was a weapon nonetheless. Since it wasn't standard issue, she couldn't tell if her opponent was a ninja or not. This made it difficult to predict where they would strike next.

Thinking it was better to assume the enemy was stronger than herself and a well-trained ninja assassin, Ino adjusted her stance to attack accordingly.

Something was tossed into the air and exploded. Ino shielded her eyes from the bright blast. Knowing what would follow, Ino moved to the side to avoid a blurry dagger sent from the roof. As her eyes adjusted, she looked behind her to check on Fumihiro. He was rubbing his eyes, temporarily blinded by the flash grenade.

A rope wound its way around Ino's wrist and tightened. She pulled, attempting to yank the assailant off the roof but he pulled harder, nearly yanking her off her feet. She took the kunai from her captured wrist and tried to cut the rope with her left hand but a second rope wrapped around her other wrist, rendering her incapable.

Ino glared in the direction of the attacker and tried to bring her arms together but the enemy kept them apart. There was nothing she could do to cut the ropes binding her wrists.

"Super Beast Scroll!"

A tiger leaped through the air and pounced on the person on the roof. The ropes binding Ino loosened and she quickly freed herself. Sai landed behind her and kept his eyes on the roof.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. Thanks for the backup."

Sai couldn't see his drawing anymore and knew it must have been defeated.

"Just the one enemy?"

"Yes, so far." Then she said, "But it's a different person than the one we captured before. I couldn't see their face but I can tell by the fighting style. This person could have used a jutsu but they didn't. They're using daggers and ropes."

"Then a friend of theirs must have come to help them escape," concluded Sai. "Naruto and Sakura are inside. It's up to us to handle the one out here."

Ino looked back at Fumihiro who hadn't moved since the blast.

She had to carry him to safety but if there was more than one enemy out there it would be difficult to tell which area was safe. Right now, the safest place for the young lord was right where he was behind Ino and Sai.

"We can handle them together," said Sai and he gave her a smile. "I'll watch your back if you watch mine."

Ino smiled back. "You'll take care of my body, right, Sai?"

"Always." He looked into her eyes. "I'll never let anything harm you if I can help it."

Ino and Sai faced the roof again. Seeing something move, they got into position for a combined attack.

* * *

Naruto hurried inside and saw two servant girls pressed into a corner while a chef and one of the guards protected them from harm. The guard wielded a staff and the chef brandished a soup ladle.

"Which way?" Naruto called to them.

The chef pointed into the next room. Naruto went ahead while the staff members protected each other.

He arrived in one of the rooms displaying numerous treasures. The young man they had captured before was removing paintings from the wall, convinced there was a secret door behind one of them.

Naruto had a feeling the prisoner wouldn't leave the moment he was set free, still a man on a mission. His partner must have been keeping everyone busying while he searched the mansion for what he was looking for.

Naruto whistled to get the man's attention. He flinched and backed away from the wall.

"If you were smart, you would have stayed in your cell. Now I'm gonna kick your ass."

The skilled thief backed away, his eyes darting every few seconds to map an escape route for himself.

"There's nowhere to go. Might as well give up."

Daring, Naruto's opponent performed a hand-sign. Fearing it was the same jutsu he had cast on the young lord and the guards the other night, Naruto froze, unsure of where to move. He averted his eyes, thinking it was initiated with eye-contact but this left him open to other attacks.

"Ow!"

Naruto looked back and saw the thief holding the side of his head and glaring at a servant holding a metal serving tray.

This bought Naruto just enough time to attack. He summoned a couple of clones and together they charged at the enemy.

* * *

Back to back, Ino and Sai moved in a circle as they attacked the enemy pouncing from one roof to the next. A couple of guards arrived to assist and Sai quickly told them to take Fumihiro to safety. The guards carried Fumihiro away and the enemy focused his attacks on the fleeing group.

Distracted, he was left open to one of Sai's attacks. The enemy jumped and hid in the shadows, slicing the tiger drawing in half. Sai used another one but not to attack. He had this one pace the ground between the building and himself. It was another distraction as his ink snakes slithered up the side of the building cast in shadow.

The enemy never saw them coming, perfectly blended into the shadow. They wrapped themselves around his body and held him in place.

Ino moved in front of Sai and used her jutsu. Snakes gone, she forced the enemy to empty his arsenal of weapons and returned to her body.

The enemy tried to attack only to find himself weaponless.

"Ino?"

She nodded. "He didn't have anything of value. His weapons were basic. If he's a ninja, he's not a very good one."

Sai watched, wondering which direction the enemy would go now that he had no means of attack. This was why Ino didn't simply remain in the person's body and allow him to be easily captured. If there were other enemies nearby, this would flush them out. If there weren't, the enemy might flee either towards his base or towards the escaped thief roaming around somewhere on the property.

Unable to attack or cause a distraction, the enemy had little choice but to rush inside the mansion towards his partner.

"The other one's inside, just as Naruto thought. It seems there are only two of them."

At the last second, instead of going inside the building, the enemy tried to escape over the roof and over the wall on the other side.

Sai and Ino wouldn't let him get that far.

Ino blocked his path with a well-aimed kunai to the awning and he quickly jumped back. He tripped as he tried to land on the handrailing and fell backwards. He started to roll to the side and get up but one of Sai's ink animals stopped him. He was held in place and there was nothing he could do to flee.

As the dust settled, the lack of attack noises drew the guards to the garden to capture the enemy and drag him inside. The ninja made their job a lot easier.

The battle was over.

Sai and Ino watched the guards haul the enemy inside. Neither moved.

Alone in the garden, Sai turned to face Ino.

She returned the look.

He stared at her for some time, looking at her face.

Just as she was about to speak, Sai moved in and kissed her.

Ino's eyes went wide for a second, then she closed them and deepened the kiss, accepting it with great joy.

Sai pulled away, arm still around her back and said, "Sorry."

Ino raised her brow. "What?"

Sai spoke automatically. "I care about you a lot. You are very dear to me. I've been acting so strange ever since the young lord asked you to marry him and I didn't know what I was feeling or why. I finally realized. I think I was jealous. I was sad. I felt so many emotions I hadn't felt before and it's because of you."

"Me?"

"I finally realized and I understand if you're annoyed with me for taking so long to realize it. Even I'm a little irritated with myself. Ino, I… I want to be the one to make you smile that way and… Ino, I want to be by your side. There's no one else like you. I want to be with you. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that… that I love you."

Ino's face turned bright red and she smiled the widest Sai had ever seen.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize I loved you until now. You probably think I'm an idiot. I didn't know what I was feeling for you was love. I-"

Ino threw her arms around Sai and kissed him, hard.

While he enjoyed her enthusiasm, Sai tried to move his lips to speak.

"I wasn't finished say-"

Ino pulled Sai's head closer with both hands and stuck her tongue in his mouth.

"Mm!" This action gave Sai a bit of a shock.

He couldn't speak even if he tried. He didn't want to anyway.

He stood perfectly still, letting his senses decipher what was going on. He didn't just become accustomed to it. Gradually he realized that this odd sensation was quite enjoyable. He thought it was a weird way to kiss but it felt really good.

Convincing himself not to think, Sai let his body judge what happened from here. Without overthinking things, he instinctively knew what to do. His body was allowed to feel, enhancing the sensation.

He didn't have to think about what people in love did. He didn't have to think back to all his research. He let his feelings guide him.

He closed his eyes, put his arms around Ino and held her close.

It was a different kind of overwhelming. It was the complete opposite of stress.

The more Ino held and kissed him, the harder it was to stay standing. Sai's knees felt weak and could no longer support him. The sensation was too much to handle all at once for the first time and he fell over, taking Ino with him.

They landed gently in the grass, laying side by side in each other's arms.

Breaking the kiss, the two looked at each other. Sai took his time in opening his eyes. When he did, he saw Ino staring lovingly into his eyes with a smile. Sai's heart was already pounding but seeing her so close to him with such an expression made his heart skip a beat.

He looked at the dark blue sky and the flowerbed they nearly crushed with their bodies. He knew he had been standing a moment ago but since the earth seemed to move during the kiss he couldn't tell when exactly they had toppled into this position.

It seemed those books were correct about the earth moving during a kiss. He didn't think it was so literal, though.

He smiled at Ino and said, "I guess this is what they mean when they say you've fallen for someone."

Ino snickered. Then she burst out laughing.

It was somewhere between a joke and being serious.

But she could only laugh.

Sai started laughing with her.

He pulled her in close and felt her body shake as she laughed.

They held each other and laughed in the garden as the first star appeared in the sky. Then another.

Sai held Ino like a stuffed animal, finding Ino very comforting. In so many ways.

This felt really good. He never wanted this feeling to end.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19:**

"I'm sorry," Ino told Fumihiro once everything was settled. "But there's so much I still have to do in the village and I'm not ready to leave it. Nor do I want to. There's too much there for me. I can't marry you."

Fumihiro wasn't heartbroken. He seemed relieved. "I accept your answer, Miss Ino. You were under no obligation. I'm glad you've chosen the path that will make you happy."

"It will," Ino agreed. And blushed.

Once the fight was over and the two trespassers were captured, everyone was made aware of the truth behind these actions. Fumihiro seemed the most shocked, especially after recognizing the newcomer Ino and Sai faced outside.

"He's one of the other lord's servants," Fumihiro explained. "He accompanies his master when they make trips and during visits to my home."

"Which explains how he knew your home very well," said Sakura. "He knew the location and the layout. He also would have a good idea of what goods to steal from you."

It turned out that the two thieves were actually friends. One decided to learn ninja skills from the ninja who were often tasked with coming to their hometown to fulfill the duties the lord gave them. Since ninja came to their town so often, a couple of ninja decided to teach the boy some moves so that he could defend himself and the lord if the need ever arose. He learned enough to be considered a threat but not enough to be labeled an actual ninja.

He learned how to use a couple of different jutsu techniques, which included transformation and his special type of Genjutsu which one of the ninja demonstrated often and decided to pass on to the younger.

The boy trained hard until he could use these skills with minimal effort. Then he taught his friend some skills who happened to work for their lord. His friend hoped this would benefit the one living with the lord; maybe even impress the lord and reward him with more important tasks.

Noticing how the lord had to call for aid many times, the boys grew concerned. The lord even mentioned wanting to increase his power.

The boys took it upon themselves to get power for their lord which would benefit the entire town. They decided to target someone with power but someone whom they thought would be an easy target: Fumihiro. They went to his mansion, thinking it would be easy. One went in first while the other waited. When his friend did not return, the servant boy went to find him.

They explained that their actions would please their lord and they would be rewarded for their efforts. They were proving their loyalty and doing something that would help their home. The lord knew nothing about their intentions. In fact, the servant boy never announced his departure.

Unbeknownst to them, the lord noticed his servant's absence and was concerned, ordering people to go look for him.

Fumihiro sent word to the lord in the next town that his servant was in his care and needed to pick him up in person. Fumihiro planned to tell the lord everything, but the two boys weren't concerned, positive that their lord would be flattered and offer them praise for their valiant attempt to strengthen their land.

"You really think your boss is going to be pleased with all this?" Naruto asked. "You didn't even tell him about what you were doing. That to me says that you knew all along that he wouldn't approve."

"We were going to surprise him, you idiot," said the servant boy only a year older than Naruto. "Besides, he's always criticizing Lord Fumihiro. I figured he wouldn't mind if we stole from him to increase our land's power. Regardless of where it came from, you're just happy to get a gift that would help you, aren't you?"

"Either your lord is a piece of crap or you two are incredibly stupid."

Fumihiro allowed the ninja to spend the night once more and send them off in the morning, which was around the time the other lord would be arriving.

"Can you believe it?" said Naruro. "These guys, their plan…"

"I'm happy it all worked out," said Sakura. "I mean, talk about luck. It's actually a good thing Fumihiro proposed to Ino."

"Huh?" Naruto looked at her as if she were crazy.

"Well, if he hadn't we wouldn't have been here around the time of the second attack. We would have been home. Whether or not they knew Fumihiro hired ninja to come help him out, I bet they figured we would leave as soon as we caught our man. That might have been why the other guy waited to come. Just in case the first one got captured. He must have thought we would have left by then, making it easy to break him out."

"And don't forget that the one guy had ninja training," said Ino. "With ninja showing up at their town so often, I bet he learned their movements really well and figured he would know what we were going to do, too."

"The guy's still an idiot," said Naruto. "And not a real ninja. No wonder he was so easily overpowered."

"It wasn't that easy."

"Easier than a regular guy pulling this crap."

"That's true."

When morning arrived and they were packing to leave, the group heard the lord reprimanding the two Fumihiro had returned to him. Naruto was most surprised with how quickly the other lord arrived, given that they had just finished breakfast only a few minutes ago.

Naruto tried to spy on the scolding but Sakura told him not to bother them while trying to stand close enough to the door to eavesdrop.

"But, sir, you badmouth Lord Fumihiro all the time. How he's too young to understand and use his power well. And you said you wanted to increase our land's power. You've been saying it for weeks. I thought you would want us to take from Fumihiro since he isn't using it the way you want to. It's better suited for us and wasted on him."

"That's right. Why should he have it? Obviously, you think he doesn't deserve it and our town needs it. It makes perfect sense to do this. Why are you so upset? We thought you'd be happy. We were doing what you wanted. Taking from someone who didn't deserve it and giving it to someone who needed it and would use it properly."

Naruto pressed his ear closer to the door to hear the lord's answer. When he heard nothing, he opened the door a crack.

The lord was already upset with the two for stealing from another lord and plotting so deviously. Hearing their reasons made him angry with himself. He realized he had started this by putting ideas in their heads.

His gossip about a younger lord had unintended consequences. To make matter worse, they believed he would be proud of them for targeting the very person he had been criticizing. They thought their actions were acceptable if their lord didn't think highly of that person.

"Fumi- No, Lord Fumihiro," said the other lord. "I apologize for their actions. And for my own. I shouldn't have said those things and put ideas in their heads. This is my fault."

"You did not know they would do this. They worked in secret."

"Even so, I feel partly responsible. I shouldn't have said those things about you. I thought because of your age that you wouldn't know how to do your job as well as someone my age with years of experience. Frankly, the only people who have been complaining about you are myself and some of the other lords. Your people here think highly of you and your town is peaceful. I'm not sure I can say that about my own."

"Your land is a bit bigger than mine. You have more people, more wealth."

"And more problems. Taking from you wouldn't benefit me any. If I had known what they were up to I would have stopped them. I'm sorry for running my mouth so much. For the record, I never thought of you as a joke. Just young. I suppose that doesn't mean anything. You seem responsible enough."

"I'm not looking for praise. Besides, you're not the only one saying such things."

"But it's only your age. There is nothing else that bothers us about you. Seeing the trouble it's causing makes me realize that it's not worth making enemies out of each other. We can't afford something so petty."

"You know," said Fumihiro. "We already do plenty of trading. I'm sure there's a way to increase your power through trade deals."

"We already trade with each other."

"I mean in other ways. From other lands. Perhaps at a later date I can invite you back with some of the others and we can talk business. It should be better circumstances."

"Agreed."

Naruto was satisfied to hear this. "I'm glad that other lord realized his mistake badmouthing a fellow lord just because of his age. He didn't intend for this to happen. I bet none of the lords think about what their words can do to someone else."

"Well, who could have predicted that his bashing would inspire a couple of boys from his home to go to another lord's place and make mischief? Even steal from him?"

"Actually, it's not that hard to imagine," said Sai. "Mob mentality tends to work the same way. Hate and anger can become contagious. These guys thought they were carrying out the wishes of their lord which would exonerate them from punishment. They thought they were doing what their lord wanted. They heard him say he didn't think Fumihiro would use his power well, their lord mentioned needing power. They filled in the blanks, made connections."

"I've seen the same thing when vandals spray-paint someone's house because they heard someone else talking smack about the people who own it," said Sakura. "Gives them the perfect excuse. They figure no one would care if the target is someone nobody likes."

Naruto nodded his head, understanding where the mentality came from.

If children wanted to be bully someone, they had two options: They could either pick on a little kid over there or pick on Naruto. If they picked on the other kid, the adults would step in and tell them not to do that because it was mean and wrong. If they did it to Naruto, the adults didn't care because it was him, the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

That was the excuse for when he was a child and no one bothered to stop children from bullying him, if they even dared to. Most just avoided him like everyone else. If anyone was mean to him, everyone understood why and didn't try to stop them, feeling he deserved it.

"The thing that bothers me about it is that Fumihiro didn't do anything. The other lords just pick on him for his age."

"Naruto, people have been doing that to us since we first became Genin. At least in the beginning. Some people still think of us as kids," said Sakura. "Remember some of our more important missions when we were Genin? When the first thing people would say to us was how young we were, calling us brats and having little faith in our skills. When they saw Kakashi-sensei with us, they were more confident because he was an adult."

"Yeah, can you blame the other lords for thinking that way?" said Ino. "We had to go through that ourselves. I know it isn't fair but we understand why people would judge you based on something so trivial."

Naruto folded his arms behind his head. "Well, at least this one lord saw what that kind of talk can do and probably won't do it again. Either he'll keep his comments to himself or start being a little nicer to Fumihiro. If he does, maybe the others will start doing the same. He might even talk to them about keeping a lid on certain things they said so they don't inspire people to take matters into their own hands."

"Wishful thinking, Naruto," said Sai. "I doubt the lord will give the others a speech. But maybe you're right about him leading by example. At the very least, I doubt he'll complain about Fumihiro with other people around. He probably learned his lesson."

Naruto smirked. "Yup. I told those guys they were idiots if they thought he wouldn't be mad at them. Boy, I wish I could have seen the looks on their faces."

* * *

Soon Naruto and his friends were saying their farewells to Fumihiro who was seeing them off from his front gate. He thanked them once more for their help and wished Ino well.

Everyone turned and started to walk down the dirt road but Naruto paused and turned back to talk to Fumihiro.

"Thanks," he told the young lord.

"For what?"

"For making the right choice."

Fumihiro looked to the side and gave a little shrug. "It was always her choice."

He seemed sad and Naruto had a pretty good idea why.

Aside from everything that went on and knowing how the lords spoke of him since in was no secret, everything was affirmed when the two boys brazenly explained their reasons for doing what they did. Even the servant and village boy from another land thought he was an easy target.

Naruto knew Fumihiro must have been worried. It was more troubling to know there was little he could do to change the opinions of others whose minds were already made up.

"You know," said Naruto with a smile, "I don't think you have anything to worry about. With your people liking you so much."

"It creates less problems locally but other lands…"

"That's not what I meant," Naruto told him. "You said you were concerned for the safety of your people. Your staff. Last night, I saw them protecting each other. I barely had to do a thing in that fight. I distracted the guy and one of your servants clobbered him with a serving tray. You may only have a few guards to stand watch over this big place, but don't count your servants out. They're pretty tough."

Fumihiro seemed surprised to hear his servants had banded together to protect one another and even assisted Naruto in the fight. He never had to see them in a dangerous situation so he didn't know what they were capable of when threatened.

Naruto gave Fumihiro a big grin. "Don't worry about a thing. Your servants can handle it. I see how much they care about each other. And you. You can look after each other. I know you can handle it."

Fumihiro smiled back knowing Naruto was right. They weren't as helpless as people thought.

Naruto joined his group and walked beside Sakura who led them up the road towards home.

"Hey, Sakura," said Naruto. "What would you have done if Fumihiro had asked you to be his wife? Just curious."

"I would have told him I was very flattered but that I was already in a relationship."

"Ok, but right away? You wouldn't have tried to milk it a little bit? Get some special attention and royal treatment?"

"I wouldn't use someone like that."

Naruto tried to think a back to find an example. "But when we had to guard that one person a year ago, you sure took your time letting everyone know you weren't royalty or even rich."

"I was undercover, Naruto. I had to sit in for that girl because she was being targeted. It's totally different."

"But even after we caught the guys, you said you wanted to play the role a little longer just in case more showed up."

"I was being cautious."

"Whatever you say."

Sakura folded her arms. "In any case, I hope Fumihiro will be alright."

"I'm sure he will."

"He didn't seem too brokenhearted."

"Then it worked out."

Sakura pouted. "I was really hoping for more on this mission. With all the romance and stuff. But nothing."

She hoped Sai would make a big scene about professing his love for Ino but it didn't happen. After the fight, everything was calm. Ino told Fumihiro she wasn't interested and that was the end of it. She didn't run up and kiss Sai in front of everyone. She didn't even tell Fumihiro she was in a relationship. Sai was less tense but he seemed to return to his usual self, as did Ino.

It wasn't the outcome she was expecting. Sakura was disappointed with the lack of fireworks.

She and Naruto had their backs to Ino and Sai so they never saw Sai reach over and take Ino's hand in his.

She looked at him and he looked at her, smiling. Ino blushed and smiled back.

Sai didn't announce that they were now an item. He didn't breathe a word of what happened last night after he left Naruto in the hallway. He didn't intend to keep the matter to himself. He simply hadn't been asked. He also wasn't familiar with the protocol and had no idea if he was supposed to announce their relationship.

It didn't matter. He knew he was in a relationship.

Ino hadn't mentioned anything either but for a different reason. She thought it would be fun to have a secret romance, making it thrilling. It was her intention to see the look of shock on Sakura's face when she found out. For this reason, she didn't want to mention anything and have the others figure it out for themselves.

Not every relationship needed to be announced. Sometimes things happened slowly and discovery soon occurred. Shikamaru's relationship was very much like that. It was a while before he realized he and Temari had become an official couple. No one else knew it was official but some had their suspicions.

Sai and Ino walked all the way back to the Leaf Village holding hands.

Feeling her hand in his gave Sai the comfort of knowing she wasn't too far from him. He liked having her by his side.

* * *

One chapter left.

Please review! ^-^


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20:**

The days that followed passed peacefully with few mission requests. This gave Sai and Ino plenty of time to explore their newfound relationship.

Naruto and Sakura didn't seem aware of this fact upon returning to the village. If they did, they didn't show it. Though Naruto had heard Sai openly confess that he felt love for Ino, Naruto hadn't brought up the subject since the mission concluded.

The group went to the Hokage's office to inform Kakashi about their mission in detail. He agreed that their mission was a success, eyes drifting down to Sai and Ino's intertwined hands.

A wrinkle appeared on his mask, indicating a smile, and gave them their new assignments. He told Naruto to return to his studies, for Sakura to assist at the hospital and for Sai and Ino to do as they wished, informed that they all had the next few days off and should enjoy them.

"Do you suppose Kakashi planned this whole thing?" Sai asked as he lay on his back in the grass next to Ino.

"What thing?"

"From the look on his face… it almost seemed like he was happy we got together. Not happy for us but happy that something came to fruition."

It did puzzle Sai when Ino was asked to join them on that mission. She was out of her element in the sense that she was usually with at least one of her regular teammates on missions unless there was a specific reason. He didn't think Kakashi had planned for Fumihiro's proposal but it seemed to him that Kakashi wanted Sai and Ino to spend some time together on missions and not just social encounters.

After all, putting Sakura and Ino on the same team was just asking for trouble. Normally Kakashi didn't put certain people on the same squad without reason.

It seemed planned.

"We didn't always do missions together, you know." Ino sat up. "Not without our usual teammates. This time I was without mine."

"Maybe Kakashi thought I would be more comfortable with my team by my side rather than have me join your group," Sai wondered aloud. "If he planned it that way. Or maybe he knew Naruto and Sakura would be able to help me realize my feelings better than anyone else. Maybe he just wanted me to spend some time with you on missions."

"Or maybe it's just a coincidence and you're thinking too much."

Sai looked at the clouds passing overhead. "Maybe I am. But I'm sure I saw the look of someone who was pleased in Kakashi's eyes. I'm certain he smiled when he saw us holding hands."

"Like now?"

Sai looked between them. Their hands were still clasped on the grass.

He didn't always realize he was doing it. Sometimes he forgot he was holding her hand. There was a comfort he got from doing so. Almost like a reminder that she was there for him, to help him and to love him.

Sai grinned.

"Ino?"

"Yeah?"

He looked at her. "Was there anything you wanted to do?"

"Like what?"

He shrugged. "I'm familiar with dating topics but I don't think I'm very good at dating."

"Sure, you are. What are you talking about?"

"Other than dinner, dancing, taking walks and buying you gifts, I'm not really sure what to do. I don't want things to feel redundant. And, to be honest, when I think about trying something I've never done before I get nervous because I'm worried I won't do it right and I don't want to upset you."

"Again, you're thinking too much. Just do what you feel like."

Sai looked at their hands and back at her. "You're alright if we just lay here holding hands for a while?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

Ino laid back down, shoulder to shoulder with Sai on her left.

With few mission requests and Kakashi giving them a couple days off, Sai and Ino indulged themselves in one date after another. Sai accompanied her to several stores and watched her try on an array of clothes which quickly got boring for him but was rewarded with a passionate kiss and seeing Ino wearing something that made the whole ordeal tolerable. She cooked for him and he enjoyed sharing a meal with her. He spoiled her with restaurant outings and just-because gifts when the mood struck him.

When they weren't spending time together, just the two of them, they enjoyed outings with friends when available. Few seemed to notice the subtle change between them. Ino was acting the way she normally did, flirting to get Sai's attention, and Sai sat there and took it with a smile, occasionally with an underlined expression hinting that he had little understanding of what was going on which was normal for him. Sometimes he was a gentleman towards her, holding open doors or letting her take the lead, but overall Sai remained the same when it came to interactions.

They were normally so busy with the activity that they didn't have an opportunity to hold hands and display their affection for each other.

Only a select few were observant enough to notice the tiny details which showcased their romantic relationship. Shino and Shikamaru noticed more so than anyone.

Sai and Ino would sit next to each other, but this was hardly proof to the others seeing as Ino would shove people out of the way in order to be close to Sai before all this. Sai smiled a lot around her but he often tried to smile around friends in general. However, Sai intentionally slipping his hand into Ino's when they sat side by side didn't go unnoticed by the vigilant ones. Nor did Sai allowing Ino to rest her head on his shoulder or him putting his arm around her at one point.

Naruto remained silent whether or not he noticed these actions. He didn't want to scare Sai off or embarrass Ino and risk getting punched. People didn't call too much attention to his relationship with Hinata so he saw little reason to shine a spotlight on Sai's.

Sai looked over at Ino laying on his right, a new feeling and curiosity coming over him.

"Ino?" he asked innocently. "May I try something?"

Ino stiffened. "What?" she asked meekly, a thousand possibilities coming to her mind. She blushed at the images.

Sai rolled to the side and straddled Ino. He lowered himself down to kiss her from above.

Propping himself on his elbows, he looked down at her red face, her head framed by his arms. He stayed like this for several moments, savoring.

"This is nice," he finally said. "I can see why people like this position."

Still red-faced, Ino said, "Huh?"

"It was something I read. Numerous sources," he said. "Romance novels often mention the partner taking this position but don't often explain why. Only that it's desired. I thought I'd see what the fuss is about. I've never had anyone to try it with. Is this ok?"

Ino nodded up and down, Sai's head eclipsing the sun. Though in his shadow, Ino felt very warm. "It's ok."

Sai started to chuckle.

"What?" she asked, calming down a little.

"That's what I love about you. Other than your kindness and other qualities," he told her. "It's how expressive you are. I never have to guess what you're feeling. It makes it easy for me to tell whether or not I'm doing something right or wrong. You don't try to hide your feelings or mask them. I can tell what you're feeling. I like that."

It was so much easier when he didn't have to guess.

Whatever she was feeling, she let him know. She let everyone know.

It made him feel really good.

Tired of bowing over her body, Sai told her to switch places with him. "Get on top of me this time." She was very eager to do so.

Sai found himself laying flat on his back with Ino straddling his chest. She placed both hands on either side of his head and leaned into his face.

After apprising his new surroundings, he smiled. "I like this."

"Oh?" she giggled.

"Yes. This is actually quite comfortable."

"How's the view?"

Sai gave her a puzzled look. "Unless I look to the side, all I see is you so… Oh." He understood what she meant. "The view's nice. Very beautiful."

"It's about to get even better." She leaned down and kissed him. "How was that?"

"All I saw were the inside of my eyelids. Pretty dark."

"No fireworks?"

He shook his head. "I never really got that. Why do people say they saw fireworks when kissing someone? I enjoy kissing you but I don't see anything. I just feel…"

"Then let's keep trying." Ino leaned down again.

"If I haven't so far, knowing how I feel about you, how could the repetition change-"

Her lips cut him off. He shut his eyes.

He couldn't see anything but darkness but he felt her every movement. He felt her hands caress his neck, felt her lips on his, felt her chest on his chest. He lifted his arms and felt around for her body. He wrapped them around her back and held her close.

It didn't matter what he saw. What he felt was much more important.

Ino pulled away, smiling down at him.

Sai looked past her head towards the sky. "Did it get hotter all of a sudden?" He was still in the gentle shade of her shadow but his body felt warmer.

Taking his comment as flattery, Ino nuzzled his neck.

"Ino?"

"Yeah?"

"… Never mind." He wanted to feel her nuzzle him again. It felt really good.

As time passed, Sai found himself resting his head in Ino's lap as they spent their time watching the leaves blew in the breeze and the clouds float by on this lazy afternoon. Sai didn't always see the appeal of doing nothing because there were so many other things he wanted to do or get accomplished. Spending a lazy day doing nothing with Ino was more enjoyable than he thought.

When they didn't talk, they spent their time in silence, observing their surroundings while Ino ran her fingers through Sai's hair or while he absentmindedly doodled on her arm with his fingers.

"Did you want to get lunch soon?" Sai asked.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"Whatever you want. I'm not feeling picky."

"Did you want to try your ramen idea? We haven't had it in a while."

"A casual meal with my girlfriend. Sounds good to me."

Ino blushed and grinned. She tried to keep her smile from getting too big but it was a vain attempt.

Sai saw her giddy expression and asked, "What is it?"

"Just you calling me your girlfriend is just… Mm!" She started giggling.

"I love how expressive you are."

"And I love you for being so cute!" She lifted him up in a burst of energetic passion and hugged his head to her chest.

"I- Ino. Ino. Can't breathe. Ino."

She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him.

He should say such things more often if this was his reward. When she got overexcited like this, it was hard for her to contain herself and she released her passion in the form of affectionate gestures. He never had someone so willing to behave this way around him or make him the object of their affection. This was nice. Very nice.

When she got frisky like this, he started to feel…

His face started to turn pink and he forced himself to look away from her. She thought it was cute how he would get shy and try to hide his face from her. He was so docile.

It wasn't his docile personality that made him do this. Nor was it feeling so many new feelings swirling within him. It was the energy he felt when she got this affectionate with him. He understood why he felt this way but it was still odd to experience it.

At first he would be a bit surprised by her actions, then happy they were directed towards him and that he caused these loving outbursts, then he would want to return them.

He felt more animal than human at this point and wanted to indulge himself. He was afraid of how he would look, acting in such a way, that he tried to resist by forcing himself to calm down.

It happened unconsciously at times. He would notice himself doing something and then realize it was something a pet might do. Sometimes he would paw at her or try nuzzling her neck or lay on her lap while she rubbed his chest. Once he had crouched down when he lost control of himself and tackled her in a passionate hug. It was fun but he had never done anything like that before. She had to him and he enjoyed it. When the roles were reversed…

Maybe it was instinct or maybe he wanted to try it for himself after experiencing Ino do it to him.

After that overzealous moment, Sai tried to remain in control as much as possible. When he felt himself reach a certain point, he tried to resist, knowing he was about to act out of character.

Ino didn't seem to mind but he still found it weird.

Then again, Ino acted very animal-like at times. He found it strange but also cute, in a weird way. She must have felt the same way when he acted differently when he could no longer contain his feelings.

Ino caressed his jawline reassuringly. She seemed to sense his apprehension. "It's ok."

Sai looked at her. His face wasn't as pink but his checks still had a bit of color.

"Sorry. I'm… Not always sure what I should do. How far to give in." He looked at her shyly. "Is it weird? I probably look…"

She kissed him again and didn't stop for some time.

"You were saying?" she asked when she parted for air.

"Huh?" He had forgotten, which was her intention.

Ino played with his earlobe, looking at him with loving affection.

"I was thinking we could get some lunch and then maybe go for a walk."

"Sure." Sai rested his forehead on her shoulder, feeling mellow. "But before that, you mind if we just lay here for a while?"

"Alright."

They settled back down on the grass laying closely together doing nothing but enjoy each other's company.

Sai gave Ino's hand a squeeze. She squeezed back, smiling.

Being in love wasn't so bad. It wasn't so confusing once he understood what he was feeling and why. There were times when he felt unsure and nervous and times when he pondered certain urges. Sometimes he just let himself feel. Sometimes he wondered why, confused.

He was shy but happy.

No matter what he felt, no matter his uncertainty, he was glad to have Ino there to see him through it. To experience it with him. To have someone he can share his most personal thoughts and feelings with. To be himself and not wonder if it was a mistake. She accepted him as he was, despite his flaws.

She saw his growth. She saw him change, acclimating to his surroundings, learn how to be social.

Her feelings for him hadn't changed. No matter his new experiences, he was thankful to have one thing remain the same. To be loved for who he was.

The feeling was mutual. He loved her enough to return the feelings she had for him.

He was glad he had someone to love. To have someone love him.

"So," he said, turning his head to look at her as she rested her head on his shoulder. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

* * *

The end!

Yay! Hope you guys enjoyed it.

If you're interested in other SaiXIno fics, I posted a couple others so feel free to check them out.

Thank you all for reading and please review! ^-^


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